California's "RealID"?

[SunSeeker]

11. It is their business if they need to know you're who you say you are.

They can't certify that without those documents, at least not to the level required for federal/national security purposes. Yes, a US passport is the best, but I don't like traveling with it domestically when I don't need it and risk losing it/having it stolen.

Also, a passport costs a lot of money to obtain/renew (around $100 last time I got mine renewed) and expensive to replace if lost/stolen.

If all you're doing is domestic travel, you don't need a US pasport, so why not get REAL ID for free if you're alreading getting a driver's license? You only have to show these docs once, then you're set for all future license renewals, you just do the normal renewal steps after that.

I understand the aversion to giving any entity personal identification documents, but I trust the State of California at least as much (actually, a lot more) as I do the federal government under Trump.