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The U.S. Department of Homeland Security mandated controversial changes to state-issued drivers licenses on Friday to reduce forgery and ostensibly increase the security of the identification documents.

The regulations, which are required by the REAL ID Act of 2005, force states to add additional security features to drivers' licenses, check each individual's proof of citizenship, and institute security standards at the offices that issue the identification cards. States that do not comply with the standards by the end of 2009 run the risk that their citizens will not be allowed in federal buildings, on airplanes, and in sensitive government-regulated facilities.

"Americans understand today that the 9/11 hijackers obtained 30 drivers licenses and ID’s, and used 364 aliases," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in a statement announcing the regulations. "For an extra $8 per license, REAL ID will give law enforcement and security officials a powerful advantage against falsified documents, and it will bring some peace of mind to citizens wanting to protect their identity from theft by a criminal or illegal alien."

While the DHS argued that the changes are necessary to prevent future terrorist attacks within the United States, civil-rights advocates have criticized the changes, arguing that REAL ID establishes a national identity card that could threaten the privacy of U.S. citizens. Some security experts have also argued that identity-based security does not eliminate the risks from terrorism.

The REAL ID Act dramatically increases the cost of identification cards, 17 states have passed resolutions rejecting the federal legislation. The DHS argued that the final regulations released on Friday reduce the cost of implementing the changes from $14.6 billion to $3.9 billion.