In a Request for Quote (RFQ) released June 2, the California Department of Motor Vehicles indicates it is looking to purchase document authentication devices to enhance its abilities in document verification. The federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has extended the deadline for residents to get their Real ID to May 3, 2023. As of late May, around 10.5 million Californians have their Real ID, which will be required to fly domestically and to enter federal facilities.
- DMV’s “primary business functions” center on licensing and controlling the right to drive, according to the RFQ — but passage of Assembly Bill 60 has meant the department is required to issue driver’s licenses to applicants “unable to submit satisfactory proof of their legal presence, as long as the applicant can prove his/her identity and California residency, provide proof of insurance, and pass vision, written, and driving skills tests.” With the “burden to prove identity outside the range of currently acceptable legal presence documents” like Social Security cards and U.S. birth certificates and passports, DMV “must authenticate foreign documents” while offering a deterrent to identity fraud. The emergence of Real ID has only increased the number of applicants coming forward. Document authentication devices (DAD), the department said, offer a way to apply “fraud documentation detection” uniformly and free of bias, “resulting in higher confidence in the integrity and authenticity” of those documents. DADs and ongoing maintenance, updates and support for its document library should enable DMV to verify document authenticity, the department said, adding that this procurement “addresses the need for an authentication solution in DMV’s field locations and headquarters units.”
- The contractor selected must provide “366 scanning devices, document library and library updates, subscriptions and a customized workflow for the DADs,” according to the RFQ. The service, it said, includes installation of Microsoft Windows 10 OS to all new DADs; warranty and maintenance to each; and the technical and business components needed to assist DMV field office operators and staff in vetting documents. DADs the contractor maintains should be able to “analyze and authenticate various identity documents,” and compare them to “an up-to-date international library” containing information on all the identity documents including “the latest security features and valid historical security features” from at least 170 countries. Library updates should take place whenever new documents, countries or updates are added or quarterly. Software must be installed at each field office, headquarters and investigation locations and be operational within 90 days following contract execution.
- DAD requirements include the ability to analyze and authenticate documents including “state and U.S. Territory-issued driver licenses and identification cards, Mexican, Canadian, and other foreign driver licenses ... identification cards issued by foreign consulates/countries, U.S. and foreign passports.” The device app must automatically evaluate a document’s “machine-readable security features” in eight seconds or less, analyze images in white, near-infrared or ultraviolet light depending on type, analyze machine readable zone and provide optical character recognition capabilities.
- Contractor requirements in maintenance include updates and subscriptions to continue the DADs’ operation, timely system database library updates, and the ability to test the library before it’s installed. The contractor must also work with DMV on developing test plans and release notes to install Windows 10 and develop and provide an encryption and vulnerability/penetration test plan. Security-related requirements include identifying contractor and subcontractor staff with access to DMV data “by unique user identifiers” and authenticating them before access is granted; and complying with DMV’s Secure Access Infrastructure (SAI) for websites requiring authentication.
- The contract value is not stated. The contract term is three years with the option of three one-year extensions initiated by DMV. Quotes are due June 17. An intent to award is expected June 21, and the contract award is slated for June 28. The contract start date is June 28.
