Getting an Identification Card
The BMV offers identification cards for Indiana residents who do not drive. To obtain an identification card, you must visit a license branch and present the required documents of identification. To obtain a free identification card for voting purposes, you must visit a license branch with the requirement documentation and state that you need a free identification card for voting purposes.
The BMV has extended license branch hours at all branches on May 5-6, 2008, in order to provide Hoosiers with photo identification for the May 6 Primary Election. All branches will be open on Monday, May 5, from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m., and on Tuesday, May 6, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
ID cards for applicants without birth certificates
Identification card applicants who are 65 years or older, and can attest that they have never been issued a birth certificate because their birth was never recorded with a state office of vital statistics, may present other forms of identification as a primary document of identification, along with the necessary secondary document of identification, for an Indiana identification card.
Individuals who are 65 years or older may present, as primary documents:
- Medicaid/Medicare card
- Social Security benefits statement
- Property deed
- Property tax statement
- Bank statement
- US Veteran's Access Photo ID card
- Marriage/divorce decree
- Pension statement
Please note that secondary documents, and other documents proving residency, are still required for most transactions. Please view our full identification requirements list to determine whether you have sufficient documentation.
Identification card applicants who are younger than 65 years of age and who do not have an original copy of their birth certificate should bring another document from the primary group of identification documents or contact the health department or department of vital statistics in their county or state of birth to obtain a new copy of their original birth certificate.
To be accepted by the BMV, a birth certificate must be an original copy with a raised seal issued by the health department or department of vital statistics in the applicant's county or state of birth. Birth certificates issued by hospitals or other organizations will not be accepted.
ID cards for applicants without Social Security numbers
Any Indiana resident who wants to apply for an identification card but does not have a Social Security number should visit a license branch and ask to apply for the identification card through the Central Verification Process (CVP). This process allows the BMV to verify the applicant's immigration or residency status.
Any documents presented at a license branch establishing an applicant's immigration or residency status will be forwarded to the Central Verification Division. The applicant will be issued a document stating that he or she has a temporary identification card, valid for 60 days. When the Central Verification Division has verified the applicant's documents, the permanent identification card will be mailed to the applicant.
An out-of-country driver license or identification card cannot be accepted as identification in Indiana. Therefore, it will not be forfeited upon issuance of an Indiana learner permit, driver license, or identification card.
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