​About Municipal ID's

What is a municipal ID?
A municipal identification card is a photo identification card issued by a local
government for its residents. The Columbus City Council commissioned a feasibility study on the topic which was conducted by Jones Heckman Consulting. The study can be found here.

What could a municipal ID do?
● Allow all residents to prove who they are and identify themselves as members of our community.
● Connect residents to services, programs, and benefits, such as public
transportation, public libraries, or city parks and recreation centers.
● Be used as a prepaid debit card, benefiting residents without the ability to open a traditional bank account.
● Give cardholders access to discounts at participating businesses and cultural
institutions like zoos and museums.
● Help the police do their job, because residents who have ID are more likely to
feel secure reporting crimes, knowing they can provide ID if asked.
● Help residents who face barriers to obtaining ID, including the homeless, youth in the foster care system, the low-income elderly, the formerly incarcerated, people with mental illness and disabilities, transgender individuals, victims of domestic violence, immigrants, students, and workers.
● Put Columbus in the company of other cities who use municipal ID cards,
including New York City, Iowa City, and Newark, New Jersey, as well as San
Francisco and Oakland, California, and New Haven, Connecticut. More than a
dozen other cities, including Detroit and Chicago, are considering similar
programs.

Law Enforcement Benefits

​A municipal ID would benefit Columbus and its residents in many ways.  The following are reasons that it makes sense for safety and law enforcement as well.  Here’s why:
  • A municipal ID would help save time, money, and resources by allowing the police to issue a summons for minor infractions instead of arresting and transporting someone to jail or to the police headquarters to verify one’s identity.
  • A municipal ID would support and encourage the reporting of crime. Vulnerable populations would be less fearful about contacting the police to report a crime or suspicious activity if they had an ID.
  • A municipal ID is welcoming and inclusive. It reduces ones sense of alienation, distrust and fear which is often reflected in people’s relationships with the police.
  • A municipal ID would provide access to and opportunity for banking and eliminate the need for people to carry large sums of cash on their person. They are often targets for robbery and assault.
  • A municipal ID would help victims of domestic violence by allowing them to designate an alternate address, furthering their opportunity for protection and safety from perpetrators.
  • ​A municipal ID would be designed in a way that protects it from fraud and counterfeiting.
  • Notes: Many cities across the country have experienced a strong buy-in from law enforcement in moving their municipal id legislation forward. New York City has become an even stronger supporter base on 3 years of absolutely minimal incidents of fraud associated with its municipal ID program.

We welcome and value the input
                                   and support of safety/law enforcement in Columbus
                                                                              pursuant to making a municipal ID a reality. 

Municipal ID programs in other cities
Around 40 communities across the U.S. now have local ID programs. Click the following links to read more about the programs implemented in other areas:

A study on lack of identification