On Thursday January 16, 2009, the city of San Francisco began issuing municipal identification cards. Any resident of San Francisco may apply for a card, regardless of immigration status. The purpose of the card is to allow residents to show identification when seeking city services such as using a library or accessing health care.
The issuance of these cards has come under a lot of criticism. The city was sued last year in a lawsuit that claimed the issuance of cards would cause illegal immigration. The suit was dismissed in November.
Supporters of the cards claim that the cards are not just for illegal immigrants. For example, people who are homeless do not have a fixed address and so are unable to obtain identification cards.
In order to obtain a card, you may make an appointment up to 30 days in advance at the County Clerk's office, room 168, in City Hall, from 8:00-4:00 p.m., or you may call 3-1-1 (in San Francisco). You also may email the County Clerk at sf.city.id@sfgov.org. If you do email, you should include your name, phone number and preferred dates/times for an appointment in the email.
At the appointment you will need to fill out an application, show proof of identity (such as a foreign passport), and proof of city residency (such as a utility bill), pay the fee (it ranges from $5.00 to $15.00 depending on your age), and get a picture taken. You will then be issued your identification card. The ID card will be valid for two years or until the card holder turns 14 so long as the card holder remains a resident of San Francisco.
The City makes it clear on their website that the card is not a license to drive, not intended to be used as proof of legal age to buy alcohol or tobacco and not intended to be accepted by federal agencies for federal identification or other official purposes.
You may obtain more information by visiting San Francisco County Clerk's website at:http://www.sfgov.org/sfcityidcard
