Over 700 new laws in Texas were supposed to take affect September 1st.
At least one hasn’t because the rules haven’t been written.
Brazos County Tax Assessor-Collector Kristy Roe says the state department of motor vehicles have written but have not approved what forms of photo identification are acceptable when doing registrations and related business.
The board governing the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles is supposed to take final action in October.
Now published in the Texas Register, the proposed rules state:
A person may not apply for a title, a certified copy of a title, initial registration of a motor vehicle, or for receipt of personal information, unless the person presents current photo identification containing a unique identification number and the document is a driver’s license or state identification certificate issued by a state or territory of the United States, United States or foreign passport, an unexpired United States military identification card, or an unexpired United States Department of Homeland Security or United States Citizenship and Immigration Services identification document.
Only one identification must be presented if a vehicle is titled in more than one name. In the case of a lease, either the leasing company or the lessee may submit identification. In the case of a trust, the trustee must submit identification, and if the title is in the name of a business, government entity or organization, then the applicant must also present a business card or authorization written on letterhead.
The proposed rules allow counties to be stricter but that’s not planned in Brazos County. Roe says, quoting: “I do not see any need to tighten these proposed rules, and currently have no plans to. There are only 4 basic types of identification that have been proposed, which is actually fewer than what is currently acceptable for other processes. We rarely see a need to restrict our services beyond the statutes and agency rules. Our goal is to try and assist the public to take care of their business within that scope.”
Kristy Roe visits with WTAW’s Bill Oliver about the lack of rules to enforce a new state law requiring photo ID for motor vehicle business.