ID Central Issuance

Don Eschbach turned 21 a month ago. But due to a new Colorado

policy, two bars have denied him access to their facilities and two

liquor stores have refused to sell him alcohol because of his

driver’s license.

Starting Dec. 1, no one in the state of Colorado can receive a

driver’s license or identification card in person at a driver

license office.

Eschbach went to the driver license office in Fort Collins, 1121

W. Prospect Road Suite D, on Nov. 20 to obtain his new driver’s

license. Eschbach learned he could only receive his new license in

the mail due to Colorado’s new Central Issuance Policy for all

identification cards.

“It’s really a pain,” Eschbach said. “They told me they would

ship it within 30 days.”

The new Central Issuance policy removed all printers and

machines capable of making ID’s from driver license offices. Now,

all individuals will receive any identification card issued through

the mail.

The drivers license office gives people back their expired ID

and they are given an official piece of paper showing their ID’s

new expiration date. Although the process to get identification is

the same as before at the driver license office, individuals

receive the ID in the mail within 30 days.

“Normally ID’s don’t take 30 days to receive,” said Ronni White,

the program director at the driver license office.

This new program combats problems such as identity fraud through

facial recognition, White said. A task force was started in 2000 to

help alleviate problems with identity theft, but after Sept. 11,

2001, there was more focus placed onto the issue.

“Since 9-11, there has been an increased effort (toward identity

fraud),” White said. “They want to know exactly who is getting on

those planes.”

Tailgate Tommy’s, 145 E. Mountain Ave., was one of the bars that

denied Eschbach admittance to its building due to his new form of

identification.

“The process in which (Colorado) is doing licenses lends itself

to a higher likelihood of falsification and we are choosing not to

honor these ID’s,” said Brad Kassenbrock, the general manager.

According to Eschbach, he tried to explain the new method of

identification and the bouncer wouldn’t let him speak to a

manager.

“(The paper given) is a legal document,” said Doug Barbee,

regional manager in the Department of Motor Vehicle within the

Department of Revenue. “But, ultimately the responsibility (to

admit patrons) is up to each (bar) owner.”

White said the driver license office informed retail stores,

banks, airlines and law enforcement of the new form of

identification.

Although, the process of Central Issuance policy has been

ongoing for over a year, the policy was completed in the end of

November, according to Barbee.

Another reason Colorado joined 21 other states in Central

Issuance is due to the rate of armed robberies for the equipment to

make driver’s licenses for fake ID’s, White said.

“All the equipment is in a very secure facility,” White said. “I

am glad that our offices are safer because of it. This equipment

has huge value on the black market.”

White was unable to disclose the location of the Central

Issuance Building for security reasons.

Fort Collins implemented the new program on Nov. 14, one of the

last towns to convert to the new policy.