post-9/11 catch-22. too much security?

[disneysteve]

I spoke to a man the other day who has been trying to get a job. All the prospective employers he applied to asked for photo id to verify his identity. He has a non-photo drivers' license. He went to DMV to get a new license with a photo. They require an official copy of his birth certificate with the raised seal. He went to the bureau of records to get the birth certificate and they require... photo id! So he's trapped in the system. Can't get a photo id without a birth certificate. Can't get a birth certificate without photo id and subsequently can't get a job.

I love my country, but sometimes this is a really screwed up place.

 

[piglet too]

I'd think there has to be some way around this for him! Hope he can get his papers soon.

I am curious though....where do you get a non-photo drivers license?

 

[jrydberg]

I've never encountered a state that wouldn't accept several alternate forms of identification to receive a birth certificate. Not sure what state you're talking about, but I would check the exact requirements.

 

[decker96]

Originally posted by piglet too
I am curious though....where do you get a non-photo drivers license?

I was wondering that too. But it is a bad situation. There's got to be something he can do. What about getting a notary to sign something for him?
DH and I went to Jamaica for our honeymoon (this was pre-9/11).
We get to the airport to leave. I had a passport so I just brought that. DH brought his birth cert. his mom gave him. Guess what, not the official one with the raised seal, just the hospital one (we told her we needed the official one, but whatever ). Anyway, a notary at the airport signed a notice saying he was a US citizen and then told us we would be able to go, with the birth cert. he did have, his driver's liscence and the statement from the notary. It worked both in Jamaica and back in the US.

 

[snarfer1]

Steve, this is a good story.

As a NJ resident and employer, the I-9 form required of all new/re-hires DOES NOT allow the employer to specify the forms needed for hire. The applicant can choose their forms. This is a federal law! There are three classes of documents. Only one from LIST A, or one from BOTH LIST B & C are required.

LIST A includes: US Passport, Expired or unexpired!, Current foreign passport, and 8 other documents.

LIST B Photo Driver license or State ID card, Voters registration card (no photo needed there!), and 7 other choices!

LIST C SS card, Original Birth Certificate and 5 other options!

By law, the employee chooses the ID forms provided!

I also live in NJ, and for years my wife had the non-photo DL (hate them DMV waits). We both did the online check list, brought our documents to DMV and walked out with the new High Tech DLs in UNDER 20 minutes.

It is hard to feel sorry for this guy, many months of warnings were given prior the tighter NJ DL standards, but they are easy to meet. My non-photo firearms permit counted as much as my old photo NJ DL (in points!)

I think there is more to this story!

-Tony

 

[snarfer1]

So I am a thread killer!

sigh......

 

[disneysteve]

Tony - Thanks for the list. I was wondering if the story was entirely true. Keep in mind I work in Camden, a very poor area where the average education level is relatively low so I figured there might be some details lacking or some misunderstanding on his part.

To answer the question about the non-photo licenses... I think New Jersey has recently eliminated these but until recently, once you had an NJ license, you could renew it by just sending back the form and your payment. The new license came in the mail - no photo unless you actually went to DMV in person. I accidentally ended up with a non-photo license the first time I renewed. I had only been in Jersey for 4 years. When I got the renewal form, I sent everything in and assumed they would send me some type of form to take to DMV. Wasn't I surprised when they sent me a new license. So I had that for 4 more years until I renewed again.