Motorists Can Get Gold Stars Licenses Starting Oct. 3

They Will Ease Security Checks At Airports And Federal Buildings, But More ID Will Be Required To Get Them

By DAVE ALTIMARI, daltimar@courant.com
The Hartford Courant

6:53 p.m. EDT, September 22, 2011

State residents renewing their driver's licenses will need to bring many more documents with them if they want to get a gold star from the federal government.

State Department of Motor Vehicles officials Thursday announced that starting Oct. 3 they will start a federally mandated program they are calling SelectCT ID to reverify licenses renewed over the next six years.

In order to get a gold star placed on a license — which will allow holders to bypass some security at airports and federal buildings starting in 2017 — residents will have to bring as many as six forms of identification ,including:

• Either a Social Security card or a recent (less than 5-year-old) W2 form.

• A U.S. birth certificate or a passport or a certificate of citizenship.

• Two documents that show a Connecticut address, including a bank statement, bill or pay stub.

With proper identification, motorists will get a new license with a gold star in the right hand corner. Residents can choose to opt out and just renew their license.

DMV Commissioner Melody A. Currey said that without the gold star travelers will likely face greater scrutiny at airports and when entering federal buildings. Currey said the DMV is rolling out the new program now because Connecticut is on a six-year license renewal cycle and everyone needs to have a new license before 2017, when the federal regulations go into effect.

"This is a federally mandated program to improve security,'' Currey said. "We live next door to New York City and after what happened there I think we need to assure our residents that we are doing everything we can to properly identify people."

The DMV is going to start a two-week advertising campaign, in English and Spanish, explaining the program. Currey said that $1.3 million in federal funding is paying for the extra costs associated with implementing the changes, including training for DMV employees and updating the agency's computer system.

Currey said DMV officials also have trained AAA workers who might handle license renewals. There are about 2.6 million valid Connecticut driver's licenses.

Currey said that the agency has taken steps to increase security for motor vehicle documents and its computer systems as it starts the new renewal process. The agency was racked by scandal a few years ago when it was revealed that several employees at DMV offices in Bridgeport and Norwalk were selling illegal licenses.

Copyright © 2011, The Hartford Courant