Canyonlands National Park, Northern Region, Utah

Utah Department of Public Safety spokesperson Lt. Doug McCleve explains the new state ID document law

On June 7, 2005, American Politics Today spoke with Lt. Doug McCleve, Public Information Officer with the Utah Department of Public Safety, about the effects of Senate Bill 227, "Public Safety Driving and Identification Card Amendments". This legislation creates a "Driver Privilege Card" as the only form of state-sanctioned identification available to Utah residents who don't have a Social Security Number (SSN).

Lt. McCleve appeared again yesterday on American Politics Today to clarify various aspects of the transition involving Utah state identity documents.

You can listen to that interview with Lt. Doug McCleve by clicking here.

What happens after July 1, 2005, for holders of Utah Driver Licenses issued on the basis of ITINs, not SSNs

There are now approximately 61,000 Utah residents holding Utah driver licenses issued to them on the basis of an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). Under the provisions of Senate Bill 227, these driver licenses will expire on the next birthday of the holder, starting on July 1, 2005, regardless of when the driver license was normally set to expire.

Lt. McCleve has indicated that the Utah Department of Public Safety will be sending out letters to all of these driver license holders informing them of this fact "a few weeks before the license expires."

Former holders of ITIN-based Utah Driver Licenses will then, after presenting the proper identification documents, be issued a Utah "Driving Privilege Card," which will allow them to operate a motor vehicle but will not be valid for state-based identification purposes, although, as noted by Lt. Cleve, some banks and other in-state institutions have individuated that they will accept such Utah Driver Privilege Cards as valid identification documents.

These Driver Privilege Cards will need to be renewed each year, and there will be a $20 fee each time such a card is issued.

What happens after July 1, 2005, for holders of Utah State Identification Cards issued on the basis of ITINs, not SSNs

There are also approximately 74,000 Utah residents holding Utah State Identification Cards, not valid for driving, based on ITINs, rather than Social Security Numbers. All of these cards will expire as of July 1, 2005. The Utah Department of Public Safety will be notifying holders of these cards of this fact by letter next week.

Where to go for more information about all this

For more information about Utah Driver Licenses and Utah Driver Privilege Cards, click here.

To access "live help" on the Internet from the Utah Department of Public Safety, click here.

 

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