Washington State no longer needs physical proof of address for driver's license
by DREW MIKKELSEN / KING 5 News
NWCN.com
Jun 14, 2010
OLYMPIA, Wash. - Applicants for a Washington state driver's licenses no longer need to bring proof of a valid address to licensing offices.
Until last week, the Department of Licensing required applicants bring items like a utility bill or a mortgage statement to verify their address.
"It didn't work," said Brad Benfield, Washington Department of Transportation spokesperson who said the state added the requirement in 2007 following a string of fraudulent license claims.
"It wasn't solving that problem," said Benfield.
Benfield said the paperwork requirement was cumbersome for applicants and staffers.
The state now relies on advances in technology to conduct background and address checks on applicants, said Benfield.
The spokesperson said the DOL is confident repealing the paperwork requirement would not create an increase in fraudulent licenses.