Driver's license division may issue temporary IDs

SALT LAKE CITY — The state driver's license division may issue temporary IDs under a bill that was passed Tuesday by the Utah Senate.

HB320, sponsored by Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, will be a particular boon to people exiting jail and prison who have no valid identification.

"When they get out (of jail or prison), often they do not have any form of identification, which makes it very challenging, if not impossible, to find work," said Sen. Peter Knudson, R-Brigham City.

The temporary state IDs would be valid for 180 days, according to the bill.  

One of the unintended consequences of the federal REAL ID Act has been that newly released inmates cannot immediately access birth certificates or Social Security cards, Hutchings said. Without proper documents, newly released inmates also have difficulty obtaining housing and applying for government programs, he said.

— Marjorie Cortez