Washtenaw County ID Card Program Now More Accessible to Residents
Application Fee Reduced from $25 to $10
Ann Arbor, Michigan - The Washtenaw County ID Card program is now more accessible to county residents in need of obtaining identification to access public and private services, housing, employment and other essential services and components of everyday life.
Effective October 24, 2022, the application fee to obtain a Washtenaw County ID was reduced to $10 from $25.
The Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution to reduce the fee on October 19, 2022.
According to Washtenaw County Clerk/Register Lawrence Kestenbaum, “The Washtenaw County ID Card program is an important service for residents who lack other forms of identification. Reducing the fee will make the ID more accessible.”
The Washtenaw County Identification Card is a photo ID available to Washtenaw County residents, age 11 and older, who meet application requirements. The ID is intended to provide a means of proving identity and residency in the County for the purpose of accessing County programs, services and activities, interacting with businesses, interacting with law enforcement, accessing housing and employment, and more.
In order to obtain a County ID Card, residents must establish their identity and residency by providing credentials according to a weighted point system. Complete information about the application process can be found at the program’s webpage: Washtenaw.org/CountyID.
The Washtenaw County ID was the first municipal identification card program of its kind in the State of Michigan. It has been used as a model by several other municipalities who have launched ID card programs in the Midwest, including Kalamazoo County.
The program was established by the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners in November, 2014. It was researched and proposed by the Washtenaw County ID Taskforce, which included Keta Cowan, former director of Synod Community Services; Washtenaw County Sheriff Jerry Clayton; County Clerk/Register Larry Kestenbaum; County Treasurer Catherine McClary; former County Commissioner Yousef Rabhi; and many representatives from community advocacy and service agencies in Washtenaw County.
The Washtenaw County Clerk’s office Vital Records Division began issuing Washtenaw County ID Cards on June 1, 2015 to residents who meet application standards. 3,343 have been issued to date.
At the time the program was launched as many as 38,000 individuals in Washtenaw County lacked identification, according to the Washtenaw County ID Taskforce.
Applications are accepted at the Washtenaw County Clerk - Vital Records Division, 200 N. Main St., Ann Arbor, MI 48104. Monday through Friday (excluding holidays) from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The application fee is now $10.00.
For more information about how to obtain a Washtenaw County ID card please contact the Vital Records Division at 734-222-6720 or visit Washtenaw.org/CountyID.
A short video was published on YouTube in 2019 that further explains the history and impact of the program.