Washington, D.C. ? Bowing to protests from governors and Congress, the Bush administration is giving states another year and a half to comply with new driver’s license rules aimed at foiling terrorists.

The agreement Thursday cleared one obstacle to passage of a major homeland security bill and produced a victory for moderate Republican senators.

Moderate Republicans said the delay on driver’s license regulations would ease the financial burden on states struggling to comply.

Under the deal, the Homeland Security Department agreed to grant states an extra 18 months to comply with uniform driver’s license standards designed to thwart terrorists and identity thieves. States also would be allowed to spend up to 20 percent of their grant money from the agency on complying with the new standards.

The nation’s governors had said that complying with the new regulations by the original deadline of May 2008 would cost $11 billion.