Gunner Quinn
With the Real ID requirements finally going into effect as of May 7th, a US passport card is the best option for those interested in maintaining as much privacy as possible. A passport card offers more flexibility and maintains your privacy to a higher degree than a driver’s license. For those who consider their home address at the top of their privacy list, nothing beats a passport card.
I’m no expert in this field but I’m basing this article on my own personal experiences and testimonies of friends. The reader is strongly advised to do their own research before applying any of this information to state and federal IDs and to assess any risks that may be involved and the severity of any possible penalties. The standards for state-issued IDs vary from state to state so be sure to research the requirements of your own state.
Many people still don’t have a Real ID of any sort, so it is advisable to obtain one in order to be able to get through airport security or enter a courthouse, among others.
It may pay to read between the lines in this article to see if there are other ways you can apply the information.
WHY A PASSPORT CARD?
At $30, a passport card is not only less expensive than a full passport, but it’s also compact enough to carry in your wallet. It’s the size of a credit card and shows only your name and birth date. As far as I’m aware, a passport card is the only Real ID that doesn’t have your primary address printed on it. In situations where I’m not legally required to disclose my home address to the person or business asking for it, I can identify myself with my passport card and then give them a bogus address if I so choose.
Here is the State Department website where you can apply for a passport card or renew the one you may already have.
Aside from using it as your Real ID, you can also travel to a few locations such as Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean without having to use a full passport.
To receive a passport or card, only one type of identification is required: a current or expired passport, a driver’s license, or any type of city, state, or federal photo ID.
The passport form asks for a mailing address, that can be a Post Office Box or a home address. If a P.O. Box is used, then a home address will also have to be provided. No documentation is required to prove your physical address.
The biggest holdup for some when applying for a card is that a certified birth certificate must be included with the application. The one issued by the hospital with your little footprints on the back is not acceptable. Acquiring a certified birth certificate can take up to six weeks in some areas, then another 4-6 weeks to get your passport. Those renewing a passport need only include their old passport issued within the past ten years, and a current photo with the application. No birth certificates or ID cards are required for renewal.
They’re good for ten years so at $3 per year, a passport card is a very inexpensive way to get the most privacy possible from a Real ID when it comes to your home address.
WHO CAN REQUIRE YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER?
Here’s list of who can and who cannot require you to provide your social security number. Keep in mind that those who can’t legally force you to provide it can legally turn away your business if you decide not to comply with their request. It’s not illegal for them to ask for it, and most people willingly comply. If you choose not to divulge your number and they insist, the Social Security Administration advises us to ask what law requires us to provide it to them. Some businesses (including hospitals, etc.) may not even be aware they cannot legally require you to provide them with your number.
I sold something once for a few thousand dollars to a local business, then went straight to their bank to cash it. I used my passport card to prove I was the person the check was written to but they wouldn’t cash it unless I wrote my social security number below my endorsement. I mentioned they couldn’t legally require me to do so but the person behind the counter was insistent. I asked to see the manager. He was in a meeting so they told me I’d have to come back later. I wasn’t leaving without my money so to keep her happy, and knowing they’d have no reason to verify my number, I made one up. To be sure it was one I could remember on, I used the first three numbers from my dad’s, the second two were my former wife’s, and the last four were my own.
This should only be used in a similar situation when somebody who cannot legally require your social security number, and won’t be verifying it, is still demanding it anyway. Using it in other situations may have legal repercussions. If you’re worried that it may be an actual Social Security number belonging to someone, use “00” for the middle two numbers. Cards are never issued with a double zero in the middle.
WHO CAN REQUIRE YOUR HOME ADDRESS?
Providing a primary residence address is required for many types of federal, state, and local purposes. Some of these include driver’s licenses, vehicle registrations, and voter IDs, among others.
If you choose to provide an address other than your actual home residence, do so at your own risk. This website shows the types of documents that can be used to prove your address in each state.
In situations where I determine my home address is not the business of the one requiring it, I first give them my P.O. Box. If that doesn’t work, I give them my made-up address, one I can consistently remember. It’s the address I had growing up, plus a small nearby city. For example, if my current address is, “47 Elm Street, Dogtrot, Wyoming.” My concocted address is “123 Weeping Willow Way, Big City, Wyoming.” By using a city address, there’s little chance the person asking for it will know if the address is valid or not. The smaller the town, the higher the probability is that they’ll think something is amiss. In my rural county they’re almost certain to ask out of friendly curiosity, “Where’s that?”
PROOF OF ADDRESS
There are various ways to prove your permanent address when filling out forms for identification cards. One of the more common ways is to show them some mail with your name and address on it, generally financial mail such as utility bills or W-2 forms. In situations where you don’t wish your actual home address to be known, there are ways around it.
A prepper friend who has since passed away had a mother who lived in town. Using her address, he had a newspaper subscription, plus his bank and credit card statements delivered there as proof of residency at that address. Even if you don’t want or need the newspaper, it’s an inexpensive way to help establish a non-invasive home address. Many banks and brokerages no longer mail statements, all are via Internet, but you can request hard copies to be mailed. These statements are legally acceptable documents to prove a home address.
Unless he had done something like committed a felony, the chances of a government agency knocking on her door to verify his home address were pretty slim. After she passed away and his mail could no longer be delivered to that address, he didn’t update his driver’s license.
A cousin told me about a friend of his who moved and procrastinated updating his driver’s license address. He needed to get a passport at the last minute and while he was willing to pay the extra fee for an expedited passport, he couldn’t get his updated driver’s license quickly enough. He took a risk and had no problems when he filled out the application using his driver’s license with the old address, then had his passport mailed to his P.O. Box.
One word of caution in situations where you have to provide a home address, don’t just make up a random one. Many websites ask for a shipping address. They’re tied into national databases, so a bogus address will elicit an error message saying the address does not exist. State and federal agencies no doubt use the same method.
VOTER CARD
Even if you don’t vote, a voter registration card can come in handy.
Most states allow any kind of government ID, including a non-photo voter registration card, to be used as one form of documentation to verify a home address. When I moved from one location to another in the same county, I never did update my voting-card address. When I renewed it, the only question they asked was, “Is the address still current?”
A word of caution. If you live in a very small town or rural area where everyone knows everyone, you’ll want to vote early at the county courthouse or by mail. You don’t want to show up to vote and have someone say, “Hey Betty, I thought you moved?”
DRIVER’S LICENSE
Many states respect an individual’s right to privacy and give you a choice between a Real ID and a standard ID. The standard version requires less documentation and is therefore less intrusive.
I talked to a guy at an auction who said when he renewed his standard, non-Real ID driver’s license, the conversation was the same as with my voter registration card, “Has any of the information changed?” “Nope.”
When renewing a driver’s license, skip the small-town office and make the trip to a larger town or city where it’s highly unlikely the person behind the counter will know who you are. And if your state allows it, don’t forget to have it delivered to your P.O. Box, not the address on the card unless it belongs to a friend or relative, as mentioned above.
The laws are generally such that the only person you legally have to show your driver’s license to is a police officer pulling you over for a traffic violation. We’re only required to carry one while operating a motor vehicle so if anyone asks to see it, reply: “I don’t have it. I leave it in my car to be sure I have it when driving. Once I left my wallet at home and not only did I have to pay a fine for speeding, I also had to pay a fine for not having my license with me.” Then hand them your passport card.
CONCLUSION
A P.O. Box will give you the most privacy as far as your mailing address goes. FedEx and UPS packages can be delivered to the home of a friend or relative. If you live close enough to a state line, the best option may be to have someone across the line willing to receive your packages.
For those wanting to play it the safest yet retain as much privacy as possible, the best option is to obtain a standard driver’s license to use for driving, plus a passport card for all situations where identification is required.
For those wanting even more privacy, a bogus but verifiable home address can be established by having some of your mail delivered to the residence of a friend or relative. This should be mail which isn’t time sensitive so you can pick it up whenever you get around to it. More urgent mail can go to your P.O. Box.
Another option for those changing residences is to not update the address on your identification cards.
If you’re old and/or forgetful, neglecting to update the address on your driver’s license probably won’t get you more than just a reminder from the police officer pulling you over to get it updated.
Educate yourself on situations where someone can’t legally require you to provide your Social Security number, then point out to them that you’re not legally required to divulge it. If they refuse to do business with you, see if there’s some other way to resolve the issue with them. If not, go elsewhere if possible.
Importantly, for those wanting to maintain as much privacy as possible, only do what you’re comfortable with. For example, before making a decision on whether to use a home address which isn’t actually your current address, take into consideration if the potential penalty for using it in a particular situation. Is a slap on the wrist or ten to life?
Things will certainly continue worsening in our country with each passing year. What may not seem so important today we may feel is urgent tomorrow. Preparing for that possibility by taking some of the steps as outlined in this article will give you a head start on being ready. Things like establishing a verifiable home address don’t happen overnight.
I’d recommend applying for a passport card as soon as possible. Anyone looking at your card won’t even know what state you’re from. And you’ll get interesting comments from people who’ve never seen one before.
The Real ID requirements are now upon us. Whether your driver’s license is a standard issue or a Real ID, it pays to have a passport card for everyday identification. With no home address printed on it, it’s the safest way to protect one of your most important pieces of personal information.
FYI, while a passport card has a lot of uses, I discovered that if you accidentally slide it into the credit-card reader at the self-checkout lane at Walmart, it doesn’t work for buying groceries.
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