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DMV seeks to codify existing program issuing IDs to eligible inmates on release
Summary
DMV and DOC described language in the DMV miscellaneous bill to allow eligible sentenced individuals to receive the credential type (non‑driver ID, permit or license) they qualify for upon release; witnesses said the practice exists under an MOU and recommended clarifying statutory language for detained vs. sentenced individuals.
Nancy Prescott, DMV director of operations, described a provision in the DMV miscellaneous bill that would expand an existing practice to allow inmates who are eligible to receive the credential type they qualify for (non‑driver ID, permit or driver's license) at release rather than only a non‑driver ID.
"We are proposing to expand the credential type to include a permit and a license if applicable," Prescott said, explaining DMV already issues about 500 such credentials annually at DMV cost under an MOU with the Department of Corrections.
David Sullivan, DOC facility operations manager, told the committee the current process applies to sentenced individuals (those serving at least six months), which allows DOC and DMV to prepare identification and identity documents before release so individuals leave custody with necessary IDs. "If the person is sentenced, we know when they're going to leave," Sullivan said, and that predictability enables pre‑release processing.
Haley Summer, DOC director of communications, requested clearer statutory language to distinguish between "detained" and "sentenced" individuals, noting that the bill's current wording could be tightened to match statutory usage elsewhere. Committee members asked counsel to coordinate with DOC and institutions to harmonize definitions.
Committee action: Committee members signaled general support for codifying the existing MOU practice but asked that DMV and DOC work with counsel to refine statutory language and report back with any data or draft language the institutions committee might need.
