Photo ID vs Driver's License

[ZipperJJ]

My friend got a DUI and doesn’t have his driver’s license at the moment. He also doesn’t have a job, and his lack of photo ID is keeping him from applying for some positions (for example, the local temp agency requires one). Yes, he is a real winner…

He hasn’t gone to trial yet and there is a faint possibility that he will be acquitted and get his license back after his trial date in a few weeks.

Someone told him that he can’t have a state-issued photo ID and a valid driver’s license at the same time, so if he gets the ID now it “invalidates” his license, and he’ll have to get a new license and ditch the photo ID if/when he gets it back. He’s not the most motivated person, and doesn’t have too much money at the moment, so if this is true I can’t see him being gung-ho about getting the ID.

I can’t seem to find any info about photo IDs in Ohio online. When I search there’s a lot of chaff about voting rights and photo IDs but I can’t find a real fact sheet.

Does anyone know what the deal is with photo IDs? Will it be worth it for him to get one before his trial in a couple weeks?

Also, is it going to be a complete pain to get the ID since he doesn’t have an ID to begin with? I assume he’ll need a birth certificate and SSN card…let’s hope he has those…

For anyone who’s skimming - this is in Ohio.

[Contrapuntal]

@ZipperJJ

I can’t seem to find any info about photo IDs in Ohio online. When I search there’s a lot of chaff about voting rights and photo IDs but I can’t find a real fact sheet.

I found this.

[Moirai]

@ZipperJJ

Someone told him that he can’t have a state-issued photo ID and a valid driver’s license at the same time, so if he gets the ID now it “invalidates” his license, and he’ll have to get a new license and ditch the photo ID if/when he gets it back.

That doesn’t sound right at all. One is purely identification, the other authorizes the person to operate a motor vehicle.

Besides, when I got my DUI back in 1990, they didn’t confiscate my actual physical drivers license, so it was no problem.

[atomicbadgerrace]

@EJsGirl

That doesn’t sound right at all. One is purely identification, the other authorizes the person to operate a motor vehicle.

That’s true, but it’s the case in most situations I’ve seen. This is the case in Ohio. From the link:

In Ohio, you can not hold an Ohio driver license and Identification Card at the same time.

[Shagnasty]

Tell him to get a passport. It trumps all other forms of ID and is definitive for all government forms that you need to fill out to get a job. I would guess that he doesn’t have much money but you can get one in a few weeks the standard way. If it is imperative that you need a Passport right away, there are agencies that you can pay several hundred dollars to get one within 48 hours. I live in the Boston area and got one expedited for something like an additional $110 dollars for overnight processing and the whole process was done in less than 24 hours although it took some effort.