South Dakota's new governor to eliminate state pilot photo IDs

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 Senior 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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