Holly Pisarello

At Solari and on Financial Rebellion, Catherine and others have frequently discussed the threat posed by the REAL ID in the U.S. As Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) explains, the REAL ID amounts to a national identification card—and “establishes the framework for a digitized, biometric-controlled social-credit system.”

Five states force drivers to get a REAL ID driver’s license, rather than a standard state driver’s license—but Tennessee is not one of them. (The five states are Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Wyoming.) The husband of Tennessee resident and Solari subscriber Holly Pisarello was, therefore, caught off guard when staff at a local Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office insisted that opting out of the REAL ID was impossible. The couple double-checked, and the results of their research confirmed that the DMV workers were misinforming them.

Unfortunately, the behavior of Tennessee’s DMV employees—whether intentional or because staff are themselves misinformed—is not an exception. Across the country, the pressure campaign to get people to “comply” with the REAL ID is intense, applied not just at the DMV but also by federal officials such as former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who repeatedly and falsely asserted that Americans cannot fly without a REAL ID. (In fact, 15 forms of identification are acceptable for air travel, including passports.)

Deciding to take action, Pisarello reached out to her state senator, Williamson County Sen. Jack Johnson (District 27), who agreed that license seekers should be explicitly informed that they have the option of not getting a REAL ID. Rep. Bud Hulsey (Solari Hero of the Year in 2023) ended up carrying the legislation (HB 2612), with Sen. Johnson as a co-prime sponsor. Rep. Michele Reneau (who, after years of food-freedom activism, ran for state office in 2024 and represents District 27 in the House) also co-sponsored.

The bill requires the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security to include a disclaimer on its website that obtaining a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license is optional. In addition, license applicants must be given a print document to sign that includes:

• A list of the personal documents that an applicant must provide to obtain a “REAL ID-compliant” license versus a standard driver’s license
• A description of the purposes for which each type of license may be used
• Information about the electronic technology incorporated into the two types of licenses

The original bill further stipulated that the written document must list the alternative forms of identification acceptable to fly domestically (or to enter federal facilities/buildings), but an amendment eliminated that requirement.

Bravo to Pisarello and her husband for not only resisting DMV bullying but taking effective action that benefits their fellow Tennesseans.