HARRISBURG — PennDOT and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services have announced that Pennsylvanians experiencing homelessness now are able to obtain a free initial photo ID or renew a photo ID, as a result of Act 131 of 2020.

Gov. Tom Wolf signed the act into law in late 2020.

To obtain an ID at no cost, individuals experiencing homelessness must apply in person at a PennDOT Driver License Center and must meet identification and other requirements. The applicant must inform the Driver License Center counter staff they are applying for or renewing their existing Pennsylvania photo ID and are requesting a free ID due to their homeless status. The individual will be required to certify on the application that they are homeless as defined in Section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act.

For initial issuance of a photo ID, the applicant must bring one acceptable proof of identification, Social Security Card or Social Security Administration ineligibility letter and acceptable form/s of address verification. In the case of homeless individuals, PennDOT will accept a letter from a shelter indicating an individual is staying at the shelter or uses the shelter as an address of residency to pick up mail.

Renewals covered

For renewal of a photo ID, the applicant must renew at one of PennDOT Driver License Centers. The applicant will be required to certify on the application that they are homeless, and a fee will be waived at the time of the renewal.

Additional information can be found on the Driver and Vehicle Services

website, www.dmv.pa.gov.