Who is eligible for the CAL-ID program?
Under the expanded CAL-ID program, you are eligible for a California state ID if:
- You have a set release date, AND that date is 120-210 days (approximately 4-7 months) away;
- You previously had a California state ID or California driver license;
- Your previous California state ID or driver license was issued in the past 10 years;
- You don’t owe any DMV fees for your previous California state ID or driver license;
- You have a photo on file with the DMV that is no more than 10 years old;
- You don’t have any active felony holds, warrants, or detainers that could cause you to go back to prison or jail after your release;
- You don’t have an active Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) hold that would cause you to be deported after your release;
- You can provide an address where you will live after your release (note: this is the address that will be printed on the California state ID card, not your prison address); AND
- You provide the following information, and the DMV can make sure it’s true:
OPTIONAL STEPS TO SAVE YOU TIME!
(1) Schedule an appointment. To avoid waiting in long DMV lines, call (1-800-777-0133) or go online (http://www.dmv.ca.gov) ahead of time and request an appointment time. Some offices have a back-log of appointments and you might not be able to get one for several weeks. In that case, going in person might be better!(2) Request an application by mail and fill it out before you go. You can call the DMV at 1-800-777-0133 to request that the California Driver License or ID card application (Form DL 44) be mailed to you so you can fill it out at home. Remember, you must still go to the DMV office to submit the application in person (you can’t submit it by mail).
- True full name;
- Date of birth;
- Valid Social Security Number (SSN);
- Legal presence (legal immigration status) in the United States
- Note: In case you don’t know some of this information, CDCR should have it on file.[66]
REMEMBER: Even if you are not eligible for the CAL-ID program, you can still apply for a California state ID through the normal process after you are released. Below, learn how to apply for a California state ID once you’re out.
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- 66
Cal. Penal Code § 3007.05; California Identification (CAL-ID) Card Program, Cal. Dep’t of Corr. & Rehab., http://www.cdcr.ca.gov/rehabilitation/cal-id.html; Telephone call with Kris Applegate, CDCR Div. of Rehabilitative Programs (Jan. 7, 2015) (confirming that expanded Cal-ID program does not change eligibility or operational criteria, but simply expands programs to additional facilities and codifies current DMV eligibility practices); Telephone call with Nikita Singh, CDCR Div. of Rehabilitative Programs (Jan. 7, 2015) ↑