North Carolina HB 475: State Identification Cards for High School Students.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 475

Short Title: State ID Cards for High School Students. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Pickett, Budd, and Biggs (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Transportation, if favorable, State and Local Government, if favorable, Finance,
if favorable, Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
March 24, 2025
*H475-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO ALLOW NORTH CAROLINA RESIDENTS WHO ARE AT LEAST SIXTEEN 2
YEARS OF AGE TO OBTAIN A NORTH CAROLINA SPECIAL IDENTIFICATION 3
CARD FOR A FEE AND TO ESTABLISH A PILOT PROGRAM TO ISSUE SPECIAL 4
IDENTIFICATION CARDS TO STUDENTS IN PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS IN 5
MECKLENBURG, RANDOLPH, UNION, AND WATAUGA COUNTIES. 6
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 7
SECTION 1. G.S. 20-37.7(d) reads as rewritten: 8
"(d) Expiration and Fee. – A special identification card issued to a person for the first time 9
under this section expires when a drivers license issued on the same day to that person would 10
expire. A special identification card renewed under this section expires when a drivers license 11
renewed by the card holder on the same day would expire. The Division shall offer renewal of a 12
special identification card in person and online on the Division's Web site. 13
The fee for a special identification card is the same as the fee set in G.S. 20-14 for a duplicate 14
license. The fee does not apply to a special identification card issued to a resident of this State as 15
follows: 16
... 17
(2) The applicant is at least 17 16 years old. 18
...." 19
SECTION 2.(a) Establishment of Pilot Program. – By no later than December 31, 20
2025, the Division of Motor Vehicles of the Department of Transportation (DMV), in 21
conjunction with the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction (DPI) and the governing 22
bodies of public school units with high schools located in Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, and 23
Watauga Counties, shall establish and implement a pilot program to issue a North Carolina 24
special identification card as provided under G.S. 20-37.7 to eligible students in public high 25
schools. 26
SECTION 2.(b) Pilot Program Requirements. – The pilot program established 27
pursuant to this act shall, at minimum, meet all of the following requirements: 28
(1) Students that are (i) at least 16 years old and (ii) enrolled in a public high 29
school located within Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, or Watauga County 30
shall be eligible to receive a special identification card. 31
(2) DMV, DPI, and the governing bodies of public high schools located in 32
Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, and Watauga Counties shall provide 33

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 475-First Edition
information to students and parents regarding the issuance of special 1
identification cards. 2
(3) DMV, DPI, and the governing bodies of public high schools located in 3
Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, and Watauga Counties shall coordinate 4
scheduled time to give students the opportunity to obtain special identification 5
cards. Time to obtain a special identification card shall be scheduled on one 6
instructional day prior to December 31 of that school year and one 7
instructional day after December 31 of that school year. If students travel to a 8
DMV location to obtain the special identification card, the DMV shall have a 9
dedicated terminal for students during that time. A DMV mobile office may 10
also be used to satisfy this requirement. 11
(4) Upon the request of a student, the student's high school shall provide the DMV 12
with the information required to complete a special identification card 13
application. This information shall be provided in a manner prescribed by the 14
DMV. 15
(5) Notwithstanding G.S. 130A-93 or any other law to the contrary, the State 16
Registrar is authorized to issue a certified copy of a student's birth certificate 17
to the governing body of a public high school or the Division upon a student's 18
request in connection with a special identification card application. The 19
certified copy of the student's birth certificate is not a public record. 20
SECTION 2.(c) Expiration of the Pilot Program. – The pilot program required by 21
this act expires December 31, 2027. 22
SECTION 3. Applicability. – Section 2 of this act applies to public high schools 23
located in Mecklenburg, Randolph, Union, and Watauga Counties only. 24
SECTION 4. This act is effective when it becomes law. 25