6/10/2011
Reed Hollinshead
ITD Communication
208-334-8881
reed.hollinshead@itd.idaho.gov
Southwest Idaho driver's license offices prepare for new system
The table of closures for county offices is provided here in list format:
BOISE
- Idaho driver's licenses and identification (ID) cards will have a new
look, state-of-the-art security features, and a new way of being issued
beginning this summer.
To prepare for the transition, county
licensing offices throughout Idaho will close for half-day increments
during June for staff training, equipment upgrades and installation.
For offices in southwest Idaho, the closure schedule will be:
June 24: Adams County office in Council
June 27: Elmore County office in Mountain Home and Washington County office in Weiser
June 28: Owyhee County office in Grand View and Gem County office in Emmett
June 29: Owyhee County office in Murphy and Boise County office in Horseshoe Bend
June 30: Owyhee County office in Marsing and Boise County office in Idaho City
Schedules
are subject to change. Some offices are also in the process of
remodeling, and may be closed on additional dates. Customers are
advised to check with individual county offices to confirm daily
schedules.
The updated system will help protect drivers and ID
card holders from identity theft and fraud by incorporating security
features that are nearly impossible to counterfeit. The switch also
means cards will be issued from a central secure location instead of
over-the-counter.
With this new central issuance process,
applicants leave the county office with a temporary paper document,
valid for 30 days. The new plastic license or ID card is produced at
the 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 in the mail. It includes a photo, the same information that
appears on the plastic card (name, address, date of birth, height,
weight, etc.), and a machine-readable bar code containing that
information.
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.
There's
no additional cost to the consumer. License and ID card fees remain the
same: $30 for as four-year license and $55 for an eight-year license
(if it's within a year of expiration); $15 for duplicate licenses; $10
or $20 for ID cards. 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.
All
other license and ID card application processes will remain basically
unchanged. Fees for all drivers licenses and ID cards will also remain
the same.
"The central issuance system is an established process
that has proven successful and secure," says Alan Frew, DMV Division
Administrator. "This is proven technology shown to improve the security
of the license, the data behind it, and the security of local DMV
offices."
Neighboring states including Utah, Montana, Wyoming,
Colorado, Nevada, Oregon and Washington are among those that issue
driver license and identification cards from a central location.
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 are evident, and the enhanced security features make it
obvious when a card has been tampered with.
More information is
available at http://itd.idaho.gov/dmv/centralissuance.htm. Or, contact
ITD's Driver Services at (208) 334-8000 or driverlicense@itd.idaho.gov.