Research
Memo | DC Driver’s License and Identification Card Laws and Regulations: Current Issues and Proposed Changes
Currently, DC ID laws are too restrictive — with strict eligibility requirements for Limited Purpose Credentials leaving hundreds of residents ineligible for any form of ID, and an ever-shrinking list of acceptable proof of residency documents resulting in many housing insecure individuals unable to prove residency. In addition, District residents applying for LPCs must contend with one of the most limited lists of acceptable proof of identity documents out of the 21 states that allow similar IDs; this, coupled with the six-month residency requirement, leave countless immigrants unable to access the ID that was created to benefit them.
Memo | Proposed Changes to DC Limited Purpose Credential Law
Currently, recently arrived asylum-seekers (recent migrants) are unable to obtain DC identification cards. While DC has Limited Purpose Credential ID cards (LPCs) available to residents who do not have or are ineligible for social security numbers, recent migrants are essentially unable to obtain LPCs because of overly restrictive regulations limiting the documents an applicant can present to satisfy proof of identification and proof of DC residency.
LPCs exist to expand access to identification to all DC residents, however, current implementation means that recently arrived migrants and residents with social security numbers who can’t obtain REAL IDs do not have access to identification cards or driver’s licenses. Here, we propose changes in eligibility requirements and the list of documents that can be used to prove identity and residency. By implementing these changes, the DC Council will make LPCs available to some of the most vulnerable people in the District.