Identification and Verification Requirements

The federal government requires proof of identity for people to use a wide range of federal services. These include enrolling in Medicaid, voting, and boarding an airplane. Many states have followed suit. Thus, people have to obtain government-issued forms of identification. To do so, they may need to provide original Social Security cards and birth or naturalization certificates. 

These standards and procedures impose a burden on many populations. People may not have access to these documents or to the offices where they are issued. Older adults, people with low incomes, people from historically disadvantaged racial and ethnic groups, and people living in rural areas may be more likely to fall into this group (see also Voting).