Kansas panel approves allowing mailing address on driver's license with Kansas‑only amendment

The Committee on Transportation voted to advance House Bill 2584, which would permit the use of a mailing address on a driver's license in lieu of the address of principal residence on the physical card, provided the underlying residency remains in official records.

Kent Selk, senior driver services manager, told the committee he had confirmed with the Department of Homeland Security that displaying a mailing address on the physical card is permissible "as long as our records still indicate your residence." Selk said applicants must still provide proof of residency to state records, and the agency would maintain the residential address in its system.

Representative Paul Heisel proposed a conceptual amendment to require the mailing address on the card be a Kansas address. The committee voted to permit that conceptual amendment to be drafted and later adopted the amendment on the floor.

Representative Vaughn opposed the bill, saying recent legislative discussions about gender markers on licenses informed his position: "If people cannot have their real gender reflected on their driver's license, I do not think they should be able to put an arbitrary address on one," he said. Representative Hall Heisel and others responded that a mailing address is a factual record and a privacy measure; Hall Heisel argued the change could protect vulnerable residents and said proof of residency would still be required.

The committee carried the bill out favorably as amended; two members—Representative Vaughn and Representative Hoy—asked to be recorded as voting 'no.' Staff noted that the bill would not remove the residency information from state records and emphasized that proof-of-residency requirements remain in effect.

The committee intends to finalize wording for the state‑only mailing address language before the bill moves to the floor.