Immigration Law

Dallas County Will Resume Accepting Mexican ID Cards for Auto Transactions

By Robert A. Kraft

In a policy change that may stir some debate, the Dallas County tax assessor-collector John Ames, has announced that his office will resume accepting identification cards issued to Mexican citizens for motor vehicle transactions such as registrations and title transfers. Here are excerpts from a Dallas Morning News article on the subject:

John Ames decided a week ago to stop accepting the Matricula Consular de Alta Seguridad identification cards because of their use in some fraudulent transactions. But Ames reversed himself after learning that some Mexican nationals living in Dallas County have no other form of identification, which is needed to register vehicles, his office said.

The Mexican government issues the cards through its consulate offices to Mexican citizens living in other countries regardless of their emigration status. Many U.S. cities and police departments accept the card as identification as do certain banks for financial transactions.

Norman Kasal, spokesman for the tax office, said Ames' original decision was based on the fact that it's not possible to verify the matricula consular cards' authenticity or legitimacy. In addition, some have used fraudulent cards in such motor vehicle transactions as registrations and title transfers, he said.

The office will try to verify the validity of such cards, Kasal said, even though it may be time-consuming.

For example, if someone submits registration or title documents on behalf of a vehicle owner along with the person's Mexican ID card, the tax office will try to contact the cardholder to verify that the card and transaction are valid, he said.

"As agents of the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles, my office makes every effort possible to ensure the accuracy and legality of the transactions we process," Ames said in a prepared statement. "Our decision to not accept or accept various forms of ID is based on the ability to verify the authenticity of that ID."

Full post as published by Immigration Law Answers Blog on December 09, 2010 (boomark / email).