| Licensing
offices to close for upgrades
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. The Idaho County office in Grangeville will close on Wednesday, June 22 while the Lewis County office in Nezperce will close on Tuesday, June 21. 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. |
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