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.
Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.