As Republican lawmakers in Georgia work to pass voting reforms, including requiring photo identification in order to vote absentee, the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives wants to make the identification cards free.
Today, David Ralston proposed that State ID cards through the Georgia Department of Driver Services be free to all eligible Georgians. Currently, the state assesses a $32 fee for State ID cards.
Similar in form to driver’s licenses, State ID cards are compliant with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID standard and may be used for voter identification among other purposes. Georgia already offers a free voter photo identification, but that document may only be used for voting.
“I am committed to eliminating barriers to voting for all legally eligible Georgians,” Ralston said. “We have heard from Georgians who are concerned about fees associated with obtaining a voter identification. While Georgia already offers a free voter ID, this State ID card is more useful and will make it easier for Georgians to not only vote, but use the ID to open a checking account or show identification to a TSA agent at an airport.”
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State ID cards are one of many types of identification cards and licenses obtained through the Georgia Department of Driver Services.
You can learn more about obtaining a State ID card through the DDS website at https://dds.georgia.gov/how-do-i-id-card.
