Driver's license in US vs passport in France - not same.
Also are you completely not self aware?
"went over to my county records office" and "hope that your church/city-hall, can provide you a copy" - are literally the same thing. You just happen to live nearby the place where your birth certificate was recorded.
Let alone - low density areas, that are much more republican, also have easier access to government services.
And how is that done in France? Everyone has a birth certificate and Social Security card automatically issued when they’re born in the US. If you have those things you can get a photo ID. If you don’t have those things, I don’t see how you’re in a different situation than someone in France who loses their national ID?
Ah yes, the birth certificate thing is... impressive. Especially when it's being asked for someone coming from a country where you simply cannot update your birth certificate. France and inflexibility, especially in small mayor's offices are just standard.
And yeah, the SSN isn't necessary. It is however usable for SSO through ameli.fr, for your taxes and many other services.
France probably has a proper ID card and doesn't have to use the driver's license as ID. So the driver's license is just that and since whenever you're stopped by police while driving they can verify you actually having one duplication isn't a real risk.
To get an ID in France:
- Go online, request a birth-certificate, wait a week to receive it by mail.
- Go to the city-hall, with a photo, birth-certificate, and proof of residence, then fill a form, pay nothing.
- Wait ~6 weeks, pick-up at city-hall ID, valid for 15 years.
To get an ID in USA:
- Hope you still are in possession of the only copy of your birth-certificate.
- If not, hope that your church/city-hall, can provide you a copy.
- Go to the DMV, birth-certificate, two proof of residences.
- Wait couple of weeks to receive by mail.
Things are much simpler in France, cost nothing, and because it is mandatory to have an ID, it is never an issue to provide one.
The French are so confident in their national ID cards that they still have drivers licenses that are a flimsy piece of paper. New ones are an actual card, but as they don’t need renewal, lots of flimsy pieces of paper out there.
A student id from a university might have a passport sized photo stapled to it.
Where I am a citizen (France) those documents have had a complicated history of being mandatory (for foreigners first, to control them), then since 1955 non-compulsory.
Yet, Police forces can decide to control your identity in public and if you have no means to prove it to them they are allowed to detain you until "verified" (whatever that means)[0].
Of course, not having an ID card or similar document is also preventing you from having access to unemployment services, voting/being voted in, pass exams, being registered at a bank, traveling, etc.[1]
Effectively, some citizenship rights, some entitlements, and to some extent some rights can be set aside due to not having a document that isn't compulsory. Yep..
In some places, it is trivial to request somebody’s birth certificate. It’s one of those weird US things where localities control stuff that they lack the ability to do well.
Regardless of issues, it’s still the penultimate representation of you.
the problem is not as simple as the headline makes it out to be. Its VERY easy to get a birth certificate. you know what proof I had when I got mine? I knew my mothers maiden name - thats it. Meanwhile, a passport is a very highly accepted form of authentication. if you can show one, its not refutable to not say its not you.
so as you can imagine, a birth certificate isn't enough. it wasn't even enough for me to get a job in a sanctuary city. I had to show a passport.
To prove who you are you need a driving license, or a passport, even if you are not planning on using either for their intended purposes. Both cost money, and if you don't spend extra money (which a lot of people may not have) to get a full driving license, require renewal fees.
Otherwise you need to have x number of documents from 1 list, and y number of documents from another. And hope that you've got them, or bad luck.
It's honestly a nightmare when you get older and places don't even accept a birth certificate and bills going online. A lot of places don't accept PDF printouts of bills too!
>an identity / birth certificate for someone from an obscure county
That would not get you a driver's license in the US. You're also required (probably in all states--certainly to get a REAL ID-compliant card), you need proof of citizenship or lawful presence.
Well, right, it's not even a unique document. Multiple, equally valid birth certificates can exist. As a form of ID, it's not great.
A passport or drivers license is much better because the issuer put a picture on it and already did the checking to make sure the birth certificate and social security card were valid.
But why get one? A passport/passport card is a _better_ ID document in almost every way. State non-motorist IDs should really cease to exist and we should increase access to passport cards
Most institutions in the UK demand a passport or driving license.
You need a birth certificate to get a passport [1]
You need a passport to get a driving license [2]
In order to vote you need a national insurance number [3], which is issued to you on your 16th birthday, via your guardian's/parent's electoral registration information.
Ergo a birth certificate is a de-facto national ID (or immigration documents)
Also are you completely not self aware?
"went over to my county records office" and "hope that your church/city-hall, can provide you a copy" - are literally the same thing. You just happen to live nearby the place where your birth certificate was recorded.
Let alone - low density areas, that are much more republican, also have easier access to government services.
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