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HB 475

State Identification Cards for High School Students.

2025-2026 Session Introduced by Eric Ager and 11 co-sponsors

Establishes a pilot to issue NC special IDs to 16-year-olds in four counties via schools/DMV, expanding access and fee-exemption eligibility.

Passed 1st Reading
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Bill Summary · HB 475

Summary — HB 475: State Identification Cards for High School Students

Status: Passed 1st Reading
Introduced: November 12, 2024
Primary sponsor: Rep. Pickett (NC)
Subject areas: DMV; Education; Students; Counties — Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, Watauga

Main purpose

HB 475 expands access to North Carolina special identification (ID) cards for teenage residents by (1) lowering an existing age threshold in state law and (2) creating a time‑limited pilot program to permit eligible public high school students in four counties to obtain a North Carolina special ID card through coordinated school/DMV processes.

Key provisions

  • Change to G.S. 20‑37.7(d)

    • Lowers the age used in the statute from 17 to 16 for purposes of the fee exemption language. (Under the statute the special ID card fee is the same as the duplicate‑license fee; the statute lists categories of residents to whom that fee does not apply — HB 475 adjusts the age threshold in that list from 17 to 16.)
    • Special ID expiration/renewal mechanics remain: a special ID issued or renewed expires when a driver’s license issued/renewed on the same day would expire; renewals are offered in person and online.

  • Pilot program (Sections 2(a)–(c))

    • By no later than December 31, 2025, the NC Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), in coordination with the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the governing bodies of public school units, must establish and implement a pilot to issue NC special identification cards to eligible public high school students in Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, and Watauga counties.
    • Minimum pilot requirements:
    • Eligible students are those enrolled in a public high school in one of the four counties and who are at least 16 years old.
    • DMV, DPI and the local school governing bodies must provide information to students and parents about the ID issuance.
    • DMV, DPI and school governing bodies must coordinate scheduled time for students to obtain IDs: one instructional day before December 31 and one instructional day after December 31 of the school year. If students visit a DMV office, a dedicated terminal must be available; a DMV mobile office may be used.
    • Upon student request, the high school shall provide to DMV the information required for a special ID application in a DMV‑prescribed manner.
    • The State Registrar is expressly authorized (notwithstanding G.S. 130A‑93) to issue a certified copy of a student’s birth certificate to the school governing body or DMV for the purpose of completing a special ID application; that certified copy is not a public record.
    • Pilot expiration: December 31, 2027.

  • Effective date

    • The act is effective when it becomes law.

Who is affected

  • Primary beneficiaries: North Carolina residents age 16 and older (particularly public high school students in the four named counties) — easier access to state ID cards and, under the statute change, eligibility for fee exemption categories at age 16.
  • Implementing agencies: NC DMV, Department of Public Instruction, local school governing bodies in Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, and Watauga counties, and the State Registrar (vital records).
  • Other stakeholders: parents, school administrators, and entities that rely on state IDs (employers, banks, etc.).

Timeline & procedural notes

  • DMV must establish the pilot by December 31, 2025.
  • Pilot runs through December 31, 2027, unless extended by further legislative action.
  • The bill’s change to the statutory fee‑exemption age and the pilot program take effect upon enactment.

Potential impacts and considerations

  • Access: The pilot and lowered age threshold are intended to increase access to state IDs for teenagers — which can help with employment eligibility checks, banking, travel, and other identity‑verification needs.
  • Administrative/logistical: DMV and school systems will need to coordinate schedules, staffing (dedicated terminal or mobile office), data transfer procedures, and privacy safeguards for student records and certified birth certificates.
  • Privacy/legal: The bill temporarily relaxes restrictions on certified birth certificate issuance to schools/DMV for application purposes and explicitly designates the copies not to be public records; agencies will still need secure handling and clear consent processes.
  • Cost: No separate appropriation is provided. Implementation may create modest administrative costs for DMV, DPI and local school units (staff time, equipment, mobile site operations).

This summary focuses on the bill as introduced and reported in the provided materials; the legislative text and final enacted version should be consulted for exact statutory language and any subsequent amendments.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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