Bill would waive fees for homeless Arizonans to get state IDs

A bill to make it easier for unhoused individuals to get a state ID is advancing in the state legislature.

The Arizona Department of Transportation charges a $12 fee for a standard state ID. That fee is waived for certain groups including adults over 65, some people with disabilities, children who are in the custody of the Department of Child Safety, and some homeless veterans.

Republican Sen. Shawnna Bolick’s Senate Bill 1209 would expand the list of exempted groups to include individuals who do not have a residence address or whose residence is a shelter that provides services to the homeless.

Testifying in support of the bill during a Senate Appropriations, Transportation and Technology Committee hearing, Rick Mitchell, CEO of the organization Homeless I.D. Project, said identification is critical for unhoused people trying to get a job or housing.

“If you’re unhoused, recently evicted, aged out of foster care, fled a domestic violence situation, or otherwise lost touch with your community, you probably don’t have your vital docs,” Mitchell said. “Without an I.D. you are stuck in homelessness.”

The bill passed out of a Senate committee. It now heads to the full Senate.