3 ms·

Federal government or governmemts in general? As far as I get, driver licenses are doing in US what id cards are doing in Europe and are issued by governments t

Federal government or governmemts in general? As far as I get, driver licenses are doing in US what id cards are doing in Europe and are issued by governments too.

Workaccount2 1y ago
In the US you don't need to have any form of ID. Your life will be very difficult, but you don't legally need it. ID is an optional service here.
- ikiris 1y ago
  Well as long as you have specific skin colors this is true. Don't let ICE catch you with no valid form of ID if you don't look European.
- Muromec 1y ago
  Well, what I was replying to is about who is providing the service. Whether or not the service is mandatory is a different one. I know places on the European continent where having id and registered address is mandatory, but the fine for noncomplience is about 1 EUR.
Brybry 1y ago
While a driver's license does normally fill that role, it's not mandated and not everyone has a driver's license (or even a state issued ID). Some stuff like voting you can use something like a utility bill. Some stuff will want your birth certificate. Some stuff will want multiple types of documents. Americans have historically been against mandated government IDs (though mostly with the concept of a federal/national ID).
- deathanatos 1y ago
  This whole thread is going to motte & bailey between the various forms of US gov ID. Between the union of {SSN, birth cert, driver's license (or ID in lieu thereof)}, it seems to be there's the equivalent of a federal ID. Just, like everything else we do, a terrible incomprehensible mess to Europeans. My employer requires an SSN when I start a job. TSA keeps alleging they're going to require Real ID any day now. Voting, if I have my jurisdiction's requirements right, requires an SSN, though most people will experience that in the form of driver's license, since getting a license is usually automatic voter registration where I've lived.

Federal government or governmemts in general? As far as I get, driver licenses are doing in US what id cards are doing in Europe and are issued by governments too.

Workaccount2 1y ago

In the US you don't need to have any form of ID. Your life will be very difficult, but you don't legally need it. ID is an optional service here.

ikiris 1y ago
Well as long as you have specific skin colors this is true. Don't let ICE catch you with no valid form of ID if you don't look European.
Muromec 1y ago
Well, what I was replying to is about who is providing the service. Whether or not the service is mandatory is a different one. I know places on the European continent where having id and registered address is mandatory, but the fine for noncomplience is about 1 EUR.

Brybry 1y ago

While a driver's license does normally fill that role, it's not mandated and not everyone has a driver's license (or even a state issued ID). Some stuff like voting you can use something like a utility bill. Some stuff will want your birth certificate. Some stuff will want multiple types of documents. Americans have historically been against mandated government IDs (though mostly with the concept of a federal/national ID).

deathanatos 1y ago
This whole thread is going to motte & bailey between the various forms of US gov ID. Between the union of {SSN, birth cert, driver's license (or ID in lieu thereof)}, it seems to be there's the equivalent of a federal ID. Just, like everything else we do, a terrible incomprehensible mess to Europeans. My employer requires an SSN when I start a job. TSA keeps alleging they're going to require Real ID any day now. Voting, if I have my jurisdiction's requirements right, requires an SSN, though most people will experience that in the form of driver's license, since getting a license is usually automatic voter registration where I've lived.