State transportation officials are taking steps to reduce possible cases of identity theft and fraud for people getting driver’s licenses. Iowa Department of Transportation spokesperson Dena Gray-Fisher says the latest rule change will affect new residents to the state.
She says, beginning August 5th, officials will no longer accept an out-of-state driver’s license as proof of identity. Other documents will be needed to obtain an Iowa driver’s license such as a birth certificate, a military I-D, certificates of naturalization or a valid U.S. passport.
"Several states don’t have as stringent rules as Iowa does on trying to check the validity of a person’s identity," Gray-Fisher said. "We want to make sure if drivers here in Iowa are issued a driver’s’s license that we have the proper documents." Another anti-fraud tool that’s being phased in across the state is facial recognition software.
"That will be a good tool to help make sure we don’t have people coming in and trying to get different licenses with different identities," Gray-Fisher said. The Iowa D.O.T. last year released a new driver’s license design to combat counterfeiting. Later this year, the agency will implement what Gray-Fisher calls a "central issuance" policy for motorists seeking a new driver’s license.
The policy will involve a temporary paper license being issued before the motorist receives the standard plastic license in the mail within 10 business days.