Sec. 1-1h. Identity cards.
Sec. 1-1h. Identity cards. (a) Any person who does not possess a valid motor
vehicle operator's license may apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles for an identity
card. The application for an identity card shall be accompanied by the birth certificate
of the applicant or a certificate of identification of the applicant issued and authorized
for such use by the Department of Correction. Such application shall include: (1) The
applicant's name; (2) the applicant's address; (3) whether the address is permanent or
temporary; (4) the applicant's date of birth; (5) notice to the applicant that false statements on such application are punishable under section 53a-157b; and (6) such other
pertinent information as the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles deems necessary. A fee
of twenty-two dollars and fifty cents shall be paid to the department upon issuance to
the applicant of an identity card which contains a picture of the applicant and specifies
the applicant's height, sex and eye color. The applicant shall sign the application in the
presence of an official of the department. The commissioner may waive the fee for any
applicant who has voluntarily surrendered such applicant's motor vehicle operator's
license or whose license has been refused by the commissioner pursuant to subdivision
(4) of subsection (e) of section 14-36. The commissioner may waive the fee for any
applicant who is a resident of a homeless shelter or other facility for homeless persons.
The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter
54, to establish the procedure and qualifications for the issuance of an identity card to
any such homeless applicant.
(b) An identity card shall expire within a period not exceeding six years from the
date of issuance of such card. Each such card shall indicate its date of expiration. Any
person who holds an identity card shall be notified by the commissioner before its expiration and may renew such card in such manner as the commissioner shall prescribe upon
payment of a fee of twenty-two dollars and fifty cents.
(c) A distinctive identity card shall be issued to any applicant less than twenty-one
years of age. The identity card shall contain a statement that it is issued subject to the
same verification of the applicant's identity as required for the issuance of a motor
vehicle operator's license. The card may thereafter be exhibited to establish the age and
identity of the person to whom it was issued.
(d) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Liquor Control
Commission, shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to
carry out the purposes of this section and section 30-86.
(e) Any person who misrepresents his age or practices any other deceit in the procurement of an identity card, or uses or exhibits an identity card belonging to any other
person, shall be fined not more than fifty dollars or imprisoned not more than thirty days
or both.
(P.A. 84-478, S. 1, 5; P.A. 85-613, S. 2, 154; P.A. 87-479, S. 1, 3; P.A. 91-215, S. 3; P.A. 95-260, S. 1; P.A. 99-181,
S. 36; 99-268, S. 9; P.A. 00-169, S. 22; P.A. 01-63; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4, S. 27; P.A. 05-218, S. 1; P.A. 08-150, S. 30.)
History: P.A. 84-478, S. 1, effective July 1, 1985; P.A. 85-613 made technical changes; P.A. 87-479 permitted persons
who are 16 to 20 years of age, inclusive, to apply for an identity card and required the issuance of a distinctive identity
card to applicants under 21; P.A. 91-215 deleted requirement that photographs submitted along with applications for
identity cards be validated by the office of vital statistics of the town where the applicant resides, increased the fee for
such application from $4 to$10, required that such cards specify the holder's height, sex and eye color and required that
such card contain a statement re verification of holders' identity; P.A. 95-260 divided section into Subsecs., permitted any
person who does not have a valid operator's license, regardless of age, to apply for an identity card, eliminated requirement
that application be accompanied by a photograph of applicant, made technical changes in Subsec. (a) and inserted as
Subsec. (b) a requirement that identity card expire not later than 4 years from its date of issuance and that each card indicate
its expiration date and provisions re renewal of card; (Revisor's note: In 1997 references throughout the general statutes
to "Motor Vehicle(s) Commissioner" and "Motor Vehicle(s) Department" were replaced editorially by the Revisors with
"Commissioner of Motor Vehicles" or "Department of Motor Vehicles", as the case may be, for consistency with customary
statutory usage); P.A. 99-181 amended Subsec. (a) by allowing an application for an identity card to be accompanied by
a certificate of identification issued by the Department of Correction and by making technical changes re gender neutrality;
P.A. 99-268 amended Subsec. (a) by adding a provision allowing for the commissioner to waive $10 fee for an applicant
who has voluntarily surrendered such operator's license or whose license has been refused pursuant to Sec. 14-36(e)(4),
making a technical change and making changes re gender neutrality; P.A. 00-169 revised effective date of P.A. 99-268
but without affecting this section; P.A. 01-63 amended Subsec. (a) to provide that a certificate of identification issued by
the Department of Correction may be used to obtain an identity card if it is "authorized for such use" by said department;
June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-4 amended Subsecs. (a) and (b) to increase fee for issuance and renewal of identity card to $15,
effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 05-218 amended Subsec. (b) by adding "shall be notified by the commissioner before its
expiration and", effective July 1, 2005; P.A. 08-150 amended Subsec. (a) to replace "birthdate" with "date of birth",
increase issuance fee from $15 to $22.50 and add provision authorizing commissioner to waive fee for applicant who is a
homeless person and requiring commissioner to adopt regulations re procedure and qualifications for issuance of card to
homeless applicant and amended Subsec. (b) to increase maximum expiration period from 4 to 6 years from date of issuance
of card and increase renewal fee from $15 to $22.50, effective January 1, 2009.
See Sec. 1-1i re use of fees collected from issuance of identity cards.
See Sec. 14-36h re contents and features of identity card.