THE HOMEBOUND ID

LET’S BRING THE

MISSOURI STATE ID HOME!

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The current system, which requires in-person visits to licensing offices, creates a significant barrier for individuals with disabilities who cannot leave their homes due to medical or mobility limitations. Our team includes legal experts who are exploring concerns that this policy could conflict with the Americans with Disabilities Act, which ensures individuals with disabilities equal access to public services.

There are many considerations for implementing new programming, especially around fraud prevention, security, and cost effectiveness. As a coalition listening to residents across the state, we would love to share their stories and work with the Department of Revenue to create a program that meets the needs of homebound Missourians in compliance with the ADA. 

  • The Impacts.

    People’s basic rights as citizens are quashed without access to an ID such as:

    Social Service Benefits: Supplemental Security Income (SSI) and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) requires government-issued photo ID to apply. If one is disabled, one possible source of income is SSI, but without access, the person cannot receive one of the only sources of income.

    Employment: With Work From Home (WFH) opportunities, those that cannot leave the house have new ways to work with their disability. The I-9 tax form requires a government-issued photo ID. 

    Housing: Lack of ID is a major barrier to accessing housing, especially low-income and subsidized options where identification is required for applications and eligibility verification.

  • The Solution.

    Several states have Homebound ID programs, which often allow for remote renewals for IDs. We appreciate the strides made in Missouri to allow for remote renewals for replacement identification documents. One commonly lost component is for those that have never had a Missouri ID before, such as people born in Missouri and now an adult. We support the expansion of a remote renewal process allowing for remote first-time and renewal applications as a reasonable accommodation for all Missourians to access identification. 

    The MO ID Access Coalition has conducted research across the United States on homebound ID programs that could fit in Missouri. States like Illinois and Texas have online forms that allow residents to request homebound assistance. From there, either a worker comes out on a specific day, or they send a virtual application. Other states like Ohio have a packet that individuals can print and mail in to receive their ID.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Traditional definitions of homebound are considered due to physical disabilities that prevent individuals from leaving the home. With the testimonies we have gathered and experienced, we advocate for a more broad version. This includes behavioral, mental, and physical disabilities that prevent people from being able to enter a DMV physically.

  • The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) states that public entities must ensure their programs, services, and activities are accessible to people with disabilities. This includes the government providing reasonable accommodations where needed. We are advocating that the State of Missouri become compliant with the ADA. This means creating a new program that allows access to the public programming of getting state-issued identification.

  • Not all DMVs are accessible, and some people have disabilities that prevent them from leaving their home entirely.

  • IDs are essential for:

    • Remote employment (I-9 verification)

    • Accessing medical care and prescriptions

    • Applying for social services like SSI or food assistance

    • Status / Belonging

  • Some renewals can be done online, but getting a first-time ID still typically requires in-person visits. We’re advocating for expanded access, including mobile or remote services.

Ms. Carroll’s Story:

“My wife is in a long term nursing home. Her driver's license expired on her last birthday (5 Nov. 2024) She was sent by ambulance to local hospital with life threatening condition. Since she had been in the hospital several times this year, we had no problem admitting her. They pointed out the fact that her license had expired, so I need to get a non driver id for her for future use. I have her legal power of attorney, but license office said I have to physically bring her to the office. That would be impossible. How can I get an id for her. Please help us. She is 77 years old and I'm 78.”

Sue’s Story:

“Sue S. is a 54-year-old woman residing in Saint Louis County. Her only sources of income are Social Security benefits, food stamps, and housing subsidies. Because of Sue’s combined disabilities, only an ambulance can safely transport her from her home. However, Sue’s MO Healthnet insurance covers ambulance transport for medical treatment only. 

Sue’s state-issued photo ID expired in 2022, and she has made several attempts since then to obtain a new ID. Every contact she has made with a license office has confirmed that she must apply for an ID in person. In late 2024, Sue’s family members visited a Saint Louis County license office and unsuccessfully attempted to apply for an ID on her behalf. Sue’s specific requests for disability-related accommodations directed to the Department of Revenue went unanswered in 2023 and 2024.

Because of Sue’s disabilities and the lack of any alternatives to in-person application for photo ID, Sue cannot obtain an ID. She does not have the resources to independently fund ambulance transport for the purpose of visiting a license office.”

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