The ID Catch-22

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Anyone who works with folks on the street - or in any situation that requires obtaining a "government issued ID" for that matter - knows firsthand about the very strange catch-22 that happens to folks who head to the DMV to obtain a state ID but don't have ID to prove who they are to the DMV when they are requesting the ID.

Didja follow that?  Here's a simpler explanation - a person walks into the DMV to replace a lost or stolen ID. They don't have any ID to show the clerk at the counter. How does the clerk know John Doe is really who he says he is without some ID to prove it?
Typically, the clerk asks the person for some "supporting" documentation, and that documentation is where the problem arises for most folks.

What is "acceptable" supporting documentation?  The two most common pieces are an original birth certificate (NO copies accepted - must have the original seal stamped on it) and a real social security card (again, no copies). There are other documents that can be assembled and these are broken down into "Primary" and "Secondary" documents:
PRIMARY DOCUMENTS:

All documents must have full name and date of birth

U.S. photo driver license or photo ID card, License from another country

• May also include photo learner permits.
• U.S. Department of State Driver’s License also acceptable.

Original or Certified Birth Certificate

• Must be original or certified, have an official seal and be issued by an authorized government agency such as the Bureau of Vital Statistics or State Board of Health.
  IMPORTANT: Puerto Rican birth certificates issued before July 1, 2010 will not be recognized as a form of primary or secondary identification beginning November 1, 2010.
  The government of Puerto Rico has provided information for citizens to apply for new birth certificates.
• Foreign birth certificates, not issued in English, must be translated and accompanied by a Certificate of Accurate Translation.

NOTE:  Hospital issued certificates (mother’s copy) are not acceptable.

Military Identification

• Active Duty, Retiree or Reservist military ID card  (DD Form 2 or 2A)
• Discharge papers  (DD-214)
• Military Dependent ID card (for spouse or children of Active Duty Military personnel)

Valid, Unexpired United States Passport

Valid, Unexpired Foreign Passport

• Foreign passports must contain a Valid United States Visa or I-94 to be used as a primary proof of indentification.
• Foreign passports, not issued in English, must be translated and accompanied by a Certificate of Accurate Translation. Passports are not acceptable if expired.

United States Citizenship and Immigration Service Documentation

• Certificate of Naturalization N-550, N-570, N-578
• Certificate of Citizenship N-560, N-561, N-645
• Employment Authorization card (I-766)
• Northern Mariana Card
• American Department of Indian Affairs Tribal Card
• U.S. Citizen Identification Card (I-179, I-197)
• Temporary Resident Identification Card (I-688)
• Travel Documents Record of Arrival and Departure (I-94)
• Border Crossing Identification  (I-586)
• Nonimmigrant Visa/Border Crossing Card (DSP-150)
• U.S. Re-entry Permit (I-327)
• Refugee I-94 Record of Arrival and Departure stamped "Refugee”
• Refugee Travel Document (I-571)
• Canadian Immigration Record and Visa or Record of Landing (IMM 100)
• Canadian Department of Indian Affairs issued ID card.

Marriage License/Certificate

• Must include the applicant's full name and date of birth. The certificate must be the original or certified copy that is registered AFTER the marriage; NOT just the "license"authorizing the union.

Federal Census Record

• Must include the applicant's full name and date of birth (age).

Applicant's Own Child's Birth Certificate

• Must include the applicant's (i.e parent’s) full name and date of birth not just “age” of parent at the time of the child’s birth.

Adoptive Decree

•  Must include the applicant's full name and date of birth.

Legal Change of Name (Divorce, etc.)

• As recorded in court decree with judge’s original signature and/or official court seal.

NOTE:  Copy of court document with copied seal/signature is not acceptable. Copy of court document with an original signature/seal that is affixed to copy is acceptable.

Any confirmation of date of birth in court of law

• As recorded in court document(s) with judge's original signature and/or official court seal.

NOTE:  Copy of court document with copied seal/signature is not acceptable. Copy of court document with an original signature/seal that is affixed to copy is acceptable. Any other documentary evidence which confirms to the satisfaction of the Department the true identity and date of birth of the applicant.
SECONDARY DOCUMENTS:

Computerized Check Stubs

• Must include the applicant's full name pre-printed on the stub.

Union Membership Cards

• Must include the applicant's full name preferably with photo and/or Social Security number.

Work IDs

• Preferably with photo and/or Social Security number.

Financial Institution Documents

• Computer printouts of bank statements, savings account statements, loan documents, etc.

Social Security Documents

• Social Security Card (original only not metal or plastic replicas)
• Printout or benefits statements, etc.
• Social Security Check or Direct Deposit Verification of Social Security Check

Health Insurance Card

• TennCare, Medicaid, Medicare, etc.
• Health Insurance Card
• Insurance Policies or Payment statements

IRS/state tax form

• W2 Forms, Property tax receipts, etc.

Military Records

• Assignment orders, selective service cards, Leave & Earnings Statement, etc.
• United States or Foreign

School Records

• Transcript of grades
• Elementary Immunization or "Shot" Records
• Diploma or G.E.D.

Vehicle Documents

• Vehicle Registration or title

• Bill of Sale or purchase contract

As a rule, DMV staffers normally ask for several of these documents if you do not have the "normal" standard birth cert and ss card.

For most of us, it's a relatively straightforward process of obtaining a new ID, especially if we happen to have a credit card in our name.  We can simply hop online, fill out the form, pay with our credit card and the credit card acts as the "proof" we are who we say we are, since the ID will be issued to whoever's name is on the card.

But for folks on the street, owning a valid credit card is about as common as a third arm.

Folks on the street also don't often have either of the two primary documents commonly used to obtain a state-issued picture ID; the birth certificate and social security card.

When they don't have these documents, the DMV doesn't have a lot of sympathy for them, and said individual has just entered the world of the "non-being" for a very large number of things that would help them to improve their lot in life: a job, housing, cashing a check, and even purchasing some cold meds at the local grocery store.

Worse, in order to obtain a birth certificate, one must show valid state ID.  Same thing goes for a social security card.

So what happens when you have none of these, how do you get one to begin the process of getting the others?

That, my friends, is the million-dollar question, and when you ask at the DMV, they aren't exactly helpful in working with you to figure it out, either.  Most clerks just make some vague reference or snide comment about the Patriot Act and send you packing.  Welcome to the land of catch-22. 

The challenge for most folks who find themselves in this situation is multifaceted, and it is especially problematic for those who are living homeless and on the streets. They must first find someone who might be able to assist them in figuring out how to even find where to get these documents. Then they must find a way to access them. They then must figure out how to pay for them. Then, they must have an address to have the documents sent to them. Finally, they must be patient, as these primary documents, once purchased, don't immediately materialize in their hands after the purchase is complete and can take up to a month - sometimes longer - before they are actually in their possession. 

To say it's challenging to obtain ID when one has none at all is a bit of an understatement. Most folks just give up, and their lives become even harder, because as you know if you've worked with this sub-population for any length of time, businesses prey on these folks when they're not abusing them. They gouge them for check cashing and any services they don't immediately deny them, and throughout the process generally treat them about the same as they would dog-shit stuck on their shoes. 

Welcome too to the world of the "non-beings".

One of the most affected sub populations of this catch-22  are folks coming out of jail and prison.  Go back and review the acceptable documents for second. Note that what's not listed as "acceptable" here are jail and or prison IDs. If this doesn't strike you as bizarre, let me enlighten you as to why it should.

A jail or prison ID has confirmed a person's identity by fingerprint and a the National Crime Information Center's database. Trust me, when you're in the pokey, the folks know it's you, and the chance that you'll be able to fool a fingerprint scan is about the same as your chance at hitting the lotto, every day, for the rest of your life. When the administrative staff at the hoosegow hand you a jailhouse ID, you've been verified as being the real you more stringently than all the other forms of primary and secondary ID combined.

And yet, this is not an acceptable form of ID at the DMV. 

My dear friend and firebrand homeless services provider Laurie Green, over at SAFPAW, says it best: "The government will arrest a person they 'believe' to be a particular person without asking to see their ID, yet that same person is then denied by the government after they've been arrested, verified and given an ID by the government? Sorry, they cannot have it both ways."

Amen, Laurie, and God love ya for fighting back.

Notice at the bottom of the DMV's Primary Documents list this little gem of a sentence:

"Any other documentary evidence which confirms to the satisfaction of the Department the true identity and date of birth of the applicant."

Laurie is the first person I've known to hold the DMV's feet to the fire long enough to actually have them honor this sentence, and I encourage any of you who work with folks who tell you they have a jail or prison ID to calmly, kindly, gently and persistently   tell the good peeps at the DMV that they need to honor the absolute veracity of the jailhouse ID when they are advocating for their clients. Laurie tells me it only works on the supervisor, so before things get heated at the DMV window, ask to have a supervisor present, then present your rationale to them.  Be kind, be calm, but be persistent.  It may not work every time, but it will take us some time to change this and we need a groundswell in order to begin drawing attention to it.

I wish I had more encouraging advice to those of you who must work with folks who have nothing considered primary or secondary ID; for your client(s), it is a very challenging problem, to be sure. When we first began running into this problem after the enactment of the Patriot Act, Vital Records offices in various states would issue a birth certificate if the request outlined - in writing on agency letterhead - the situation for the individual and that your agency was verifying the authenticity of the person's stated name and date of birth.  However, I received a number of responses back from the Vital Records Offices that said something like "this is the last time we will do this," usually handwritten on the form they returned to us in response. I suspect that it is much harder to get this done today than it was a few years ago when I was actively working the streets.

I'm working at the federal level today to raise awareness about this issue and hope to catch the attention of someone who can assist in moving this farther into realm of real change possibility. If you are - or know anyone - who might be willing to work with me on this, by all means send them my way. 

We need all the help we can get, there are thousands of people depending on us.