News Archive

South Dakota�s new Governor to eliminate state pilot photo IDs; vows to eliminate registration altogether

May 16, 2003 — South Dakota Governor (and AOPA member) Michael Rounds says he�s going to eliminate a state rule requiring pilots to carry a state-issued photo registration card. And he says he�s going to introduce legislation next year to eliminate the state�s pilot registration altogether.

In a letter to AOPA Regional Representative Bill Hamilton, Rounds said that since the FAA has implemented an AOPA proposal to require pilots to carry a government-issued photo ID, such as a driver�s license, and pilot certificate when they fly, "the state�s requirement would be a duplication of effort, and in order to keep our pledge to the pilots of this state, I have decided that our requirement for a state-issued photo card will be eliminated."

Rounds also said the state�s pilot registration rule, in effect since the 1930s, is also a duplication of effort, since the information is readily available elsewhere. So he will ask the legislature to eliminate it entirely.

"It�s fantastic to have someone who truly understands general aviation sitting in the Governor�s chair in South Dakota," said AOPA Sr. Vice President of Government and Technical Affairs Andy Cebula. "He knows that the aviation system is national and can�t be subdivided by individual state requirements."

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