5/19/2011
REMINDER: Ada County driver's license office begins pilot program for new system Monday
BOISE - Idaho drivers' licenses and identification (ID) cards soon will have a new look, state-of-the-art security features and a new way of being issued. The cards help protect against identity theft and fraud, with no additional cost to customers.
Ada County Driver's License Office on Benjamin Lane in Boise will pilot the new system beginning Monday (May 23). It is the second pilot location in the state. The Payette County Driver's License Office in Payette was the first.
For customers who plan to renew licenses at this location during the pilot phase, ITD offers two reminders:
- Monday is typically the busiest day of the week at the DMV
- Consider coming later in the week, unless it is critical to apply for or renew a license or ID card on Monday
The first pilot program in Payette County was designed for an office where lower daily volumes of licenses and ID cards would allow testing of the system on a smaller scale. Starting Monday, ITD will graduate its testing to a larger scale (Ada County), prior to statewide implementation.
By summer, the new licenses and ID cards will be available at all other 51 county offices.
The updated system will incorporate security features that, together, are nearly impossible to counterfeit. The switch also means cards will be issued from a central, secure location instead of at individual county offices.
With this new process, people will not leave the county licensing office with a plastic card anymore, says Susan Romero, Ada County Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Driver's License Supervisor.
Instead, applicants leave with a temporary paper document, which is valid for 30 days. The new plastic license or ID card will be produced at a central production facility and mailed to the customer within about 10 business days. Because it is mailed, it will be critical for applicants to provide a correct address.
The temporary card is issued for driving and identity purposes until the new plastic card arrives by mail. The temporary card includes a photo, the same information that appears on the plastic card (such as name, address, date of birth, height and weight), and a machine readable bar code containing that information.
"The central issuance system is an established, secure process," says Alan Frew, Idaho Transportation Division (ITD) of Motor Vehicles Administrator. "This proven technology has been shown to improve the security of the license, the data behind it, and the security of local DMV offices."
Idaho's neighboring states (Utah, Montana, Wyoming, Nevada, Oregon and Washington) are among those that issue driver's licenses and ID cards from a central location.
Current Idaho licenses or ID cards remain valid through their expiration date; however, individuals can opt to renew a license or ID card within one year of the expiration date. Individuals with valid licenses or ID cards that are not within the one‐year renewal window have the option of surrendering the card and applying for a duplicate card. Standard duplicate fees will apply ($15 for driver licenses, $10 or $20 for ID cards).
All other license and ID card application processes will remain essentially unchanged. Fees for all driver's licenses and ID cards also will remain the same.
The new cards incorporate numerous security features, including micro-printing, ghost images and a laser-perforated pattern that reveals the shape of Idaho when held to the light. Not all security features will be evident. The enhanced security features make it obvious if someone tampers with a card.
For more information, contact ITD's Driver Services office at (208) 334-8000 or visit http://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/centralissuance.htm on ITD's website.