The Colorado Department of Revenue plans to adopt its long-awaited new rules for getting state-issued ID cards and driver’s licenses on Aug. 1.
Executive director Roxy Huber said the state is in the process of developing signs that will show what documents an applicant needs to provide.
The state requires applicants for driver’s licenses and ID cards to prove their identities and that they are legal residents.
Some of the temporary rules the department put in place prompted an outcry from advocates for the elderly and the homeless, who may not have access to the necessary paperwork.
“If it was simple, we wouldn’t be in this fix,” Huber said during a meeting with the Legislative Audit Committee.
The new rules provide a process for people who are unable to get birth certificates or other documents that prove their status as a legal resident.
That exception process will allow department investigators to review the records and determine whether the person should be eligible for an ID. The applicant can go to court if that exception is denied.
“Advocates are guardedly optimistic that things are going to be improved,” said Linda Olson, senior attorney for Colorado Legal Services, a private nonprofit that has represented citizens who had difficulty getting a Colorado ID.
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She said the department has hired an independent consultant to analyze the internal controls in place. The consultant’s report could be completed as soon as next month.
The state unplugged that computer system in April because it was providing flawed data to law enforcement officials. The department is reviewing whether the system can be salvaged.
That $10 million computer system is not a total loss, Huber said, because some of the computer hardware and high-speed data-delivery lines still work.
Staff writer Mark P. Couch can be reached at 303-954-1794 or mcouch@denverpost.com.
