First things first, the editorializing. Pay the extra bucks and get a real passport, already, okay? Now, from the State Department:

The other day, Euro-husband was checking out the new REAL ID requirements. The REAL ID is a new Homeland Security sponsored initiative to get all Americans equipped with a universal ID card used for travel, social security payouts, a bunch of stuff. According to the CNET FAQ, here's how you'll get one: ...you'll need to bring a "photo identity document," document your birth date and address, and show that your Social Security number is what you had claimed it to be. U.S. citizens will have to prove that status, and foreigners will have to show a valid visa. State DMVs will have to verify that these identity documents are legitimate, digitize them and store them permanently. In addition, Social Security numbers must be verified with the Social Security Administration.