TERRE HAUTE — Renewing or getting a new Indiana driver’s license next year will require bringing a handful of documents on your visit to the Bureau of Motor Vehicles.
BMV Commissioner Andy Miller said the one-time requirement is part of an effort to stem identity theft by complying with the 9/11 Commission’s recommendations and federal law.
“Your driver’s license today is so much more than what it used to be. It really is our gateway to prove identity in so many different places,” Miller said, in a stopover Friday at Terre Haute International Airport-Hulman Field. “It is your fundamental proof that you are who you say you are. It’s the nationally recognized form of identification.
“A driver’s license is used to cash a check, to rent an apartment, to open a credit card account and is used to get on an airplane,” Miller said.
Miller was traveling statewide to discuss new document requirements for a “Secure ID” that will start Jan. 1, 2010. Four categories of personal information will require separate documentation.
“All folks coming in for a new or renewed driver’s license or ID card will need to provide documentation of their identity, lawful status, residency and Social Security,” Miller said.
Documents that can be used to get a license or state ID include birth certificates or passports, Social Security cards, W2 tax forms, bank statements, utility bills or Medicaid or Medicare benefit statements
A complete list of acceptable documents is on the BMV’s Web site at myBMV.IN.gov. There is also a link to vital record offices in other states where certified birth certificates may be obtained.
One other change is new or renewed licenses and ID cards will be mailed to the person. That gives the state time review the documentation, and to use facial recognition technology to ensure the identity of someone seeking the license/ID card.
“Using a central issuance mail procedure is the same method that we [use to] get passports and credit cards,” Miller said.
People renewing a driver’s license will receive a 14-day extension on their existing driver’s license. If a person is applying for a new driver’s license, he or she will receive a certificate that is valid for driving only. That certificate cannot be used for identification, such as opening a bank account, Miller said.
Documentation is a one-time requirement, so if a “Secure ID” state driver’s license or ID card is lost, the extra documentation will not be required again, Miller said.
There are more than 5.5 million active driver’s licenses and ID cards in Indiana, Miller said. More than a million of those are renewed or updated each year. A driver’s license for people age 18 to 74 is renewed every six years.
The new security measures are a way to combat identify fraud, one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, Miller said.
“About 11 percent of the time there is a conflict, which most are resolved. About one percent of the time, we end up with a fraud investigation. That is a big number, as just this year we had about 1,100 cases of fraud,” Miller said.
In addition, Miller said the 9/11 Commission “has told us repeatedly that one of the major keys to the 9/11 terrorists was identity theft. All but one of those [terrrorists] had some form of a fraudulently issued identification card.”
Indiana’s new Secure ID licenses will contain some small changes, including a star in the upper right corner. By 2017, all driver’s licenses in the United States will have a star on the front of the license, Miller said.
“That symbol will be required on the driver’s license to board a plane or enter a federal building,” he said.
Miller said while the Indiana BMV’s overall task remains to ensure that people meet requirements to drive, the agency must first verify identity. “If you think about it, BMV’s role today is very similar to the U.S. Passport Agency,” Miller said. “We hope that customers begin to recognize that coming to the license branch and getting one of these is their first step in guarding their identity … and that someone else isn’t trying to rip them off.”
Howard Greninger can be reached at (812) 231-4204 or howard.greninger@tribstar.com.
Local & Bistate
Official says BMV taking steps to stem ID theft
- Local & Bistate
-
-
Montford Point Marine
In 1943, 19-year-old Ezell Odom was on the sandy beach of a tiny South Pacific island about 7,000 miles from his parent’s home in Terre Haute.
-
K-9 officer Shadow honored as a hero
A Terre Haute K-9 officer injured in the line of duty has been honored as a hero by the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association.
-
Freezin’ for a Reason
Hundreds lined up outside Hulman Center amid frigid air to participate in a warm-hearted cause.
-
Even as law, right-to-work dominates crackerbarrel
The flames of the right-to-work debate were gone, but the coals still seemed to smolder.
-
Vigo School Board to give OK on bonds for DeVaney project
The Vigo County School Board will meet at 6 p.m. Monday in the administration building, 686 Wabash Ave.
-
Bridging the gap to ‘forever’
They can be taken from their homes by strangers for reasons they may not understand, with no possessions other than the clothes they are wearing.
-
Students showcase keen problem-solving skills at Rose-Hulman
For the 16th straight year, Honey Creek Middle School students came out on top in the Wabash Valley MATHCOUNTS competition at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
-
Ivy Tech to celebrate Black History Month
Ivy Tech Community College will celebrate Black History Month with a series of events at its campuses statewide.
-
Whitney Houston, superstar of records, films, dies
Whitney Houston, who ruled as pop music's queen until her majestic voice and regal image were ravaged by drug use, erratic behavior and a tumultuous marriage to singer Bobby Brown, has died. She was 48.
-
Giant welcome home for Steve
Terre Haute was suddenly home to thousands of cheering New York Giants fans Friday as residents welcomed Super Bowl champion Steve Weatherford back home for a parade.
-
‘One for Terre Haute,’ Steve tells crowd at North
“This one was for Terre Haute,” native son Steve Weatherford proclaimed Friday as he shared his Super Bowl victory with the community that helped send him on the path to a world championship.
-
Hometown support vital to success, Weatherford says
Steve Weatherford said Friday he wouldn’t be celebrating a Giants’ Super Bowl victory if not for the support he’s received from his hometown, his parents and mentors in his life.
-
Craning for a rare glimpse
A visitor from the Far East has naturalists flying to Linton, hoping some good comes from one bird’s bad directions.
-
Vigo’s primary election filings complete
The slate is set for the May 8 primary election, with the race for three at-large seats on the Vigo County Council drawing the largest pool of candidates at the county level.
-
Documentary on electric vehicles plays Sunday at Rose
The rising popularity of electric vehicles and their impact on the world eco-system is the focus of a documentary, “Revenge of the Electric Car,” being presented at 3 p.m. Sunday in Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Hatfield Hall Theater.
-
Man gets 10-year sentence in battery case
A West Terre Haute man received a 10-year prison sentence Friday after pleading guilty to aggravated battery for beating a friend caught in bed with the man’s wife.
-
Asian hooded crane lands in Greene County wildlife area
Bird watchers are flocking to a southwestern Indiana wildlife area to try to catch a glimpse of a crane usually spotted only in Asia.
-
Slow drips: It’s maple syrup season in Indiana
More seasonal, colder temperatures will hit the Wabash Valley this weekend, which is ideal weather for maple syrup production, said Keith Ruble, superintendent of the Vigo County Parks and Recreation Department.
However, Ruble voices concern that this year’s maple syrup season may be short.
-
Downtown restaurant celebrates expansion
The streets of Terre Haute were chilly Thursday night, but for the glow of hot pasta inside Louise’s Pizzeria and Cafe.
-
Contract signed for new Y
Papers are signed and the ink is in place for a new YMCA to operate in Terre Haute.
-
City to impose $30 release fee on towed vehicles
The Terre Haute City Council voted without opposition Thursday to impose a new $30 release fee on vehicles towed and impounded by the police as part of a criminal investigation.
-
Valley educators cautious on Indiana’s ‘No Child’ waiver
Indiana is one of 10 states to receive a waiver from federal No Child Left Behind requirements.
-
Driver dies after Illinois school bus crash
“Brace yourself. Brace yourself,” Fay Pickering shouted to her students just before the school bus she was driving crossed U.S. 40 and landed in a ditch Thursday morning.
-
Trial date set for former WTH police chief
A July 23 trial date has been set for a former police chief of West Terre Haute accused of theft.
-
Motorcycle gang member pleads guilty in federal court
A member of an Indianapolis motorcycle gang who delivered methamphetamine to a Terre Haute dealer has pleaded guilty to drug charges in federal court.
-
July trial date set for mother charged with child neglect
A July 30 trial date has been set for a Terre Haute mother charged with neglecting and battering her toddler.
-
Business hosting SPPRAK fundraiser
Java Haute is hosting the latest fundraiser sponsored by SPPRAK — Special People Performing Random Acts of Kindness.
-
Valley high school cooking competition under way today
Clabber Girl Corp. and Gordon Food Services will host the fourth-annual High School Chef Competition, beginning today through Saturday, and again Feb. 18, in the Culinary Classroom at Clabber Girl.
- UPDATE: Marshall, Ill., school bus driver involved in accident dies; cause appears to be cardiac-related
-
Terre Haute road name game
What used to be called U.S. 40 from the Wabash River west through West Terre Haute to Interstate 70 needs to be renamed and, probably, get new street addresses, a Vigo County planner recommends.
- More Local & Bistate Headlines
-
Raw Video: Greek Rioting Ahead of Austerity Vote
Pop Music Superstar Whitney Houston Dies at 48
Raw Video: Whitney Houston's Last Performance
Reaction to Houston's Death at Clive Davis Party
Whitney Houston's Church Mourns Her Passing
Police: Houston Found Dead in Her Hotel Room
Coroner: Houston Autopsy Results Weeks Away
Raw Video: Child Rescued After Kosovo Avalanche
Fans 'Speechless' Over Houston's Death
Severe Cold Wreaks Havoc in China
Fuel Removal Under Way on Capsized Italian Ship
Recording Superstar Whitney Houston Dead at 48
79 Turtles Seized at Shanghai Airport
Snow Strands Italian Towns
Paul Suffers Narrow Loss to Romney in Maine
Palin Brings Anti-Washington Message to CPAC
Video of M.I.A's Obscene Halftime Gesture
Raw Video: Deadly Blasts in Syria
Stocks Fall Sharply As Greek Deal Is Held Up
Today in History for Tuesday, February 12th
Exclusive Video: Bobbi Kristina Leaving Hospital
2012 Grammys: Rihanna
Raw Video: Aurora Borealis As Seen From Space
2012 Grammys: Taylor Swift
Exclusive Video - Whitney's Bodybag
FUEL TV: Punk Payback Gym tips
Whitney's Final Days - EXCLUSIVE
First glimpse of Blue Ivy Carter
Lusetich: AT&T Rd. 3 recap
Peek inside Barbie's closet
Romney Tops Santorum in CPAC Straw Poll
Madonna's Daughter Shaves Head
Angry Dad Shoots Teens Laptop
Absolute Lin-sanity
5 Killed in Wrong-way Crash on I-10 in La.
Test on Comforter in Powell Unit Shows Blood
Hero Driver Saves Kids From Burning Bus
Funeral to be held for Powell boys
