Highland Park Borough Council at its Dec. 6th Council meeting unanimously passed an ordinance that creates an official municipal photo identification that will serve as an accepted identification by all borough agencies, including the Highland Park Public Library, the Highland Park Police Department, and the Highland Park Community Food Pantry.
Highland Park has many residents, particularly seniors, immigrants, and youth, who have no access to a New Jersey Department of Motor Vehicle-issued identification. The launch date and final details about the implementation process will be forthcoming in the first quarter of 2017.
In addition to municipal agencies, the borough intends to work with Main Street Highland Park to provide merchant incentives related to the ID. Currently, several businesses have agreed to provide discounts or other special upon presentation of the ID.
Working with the New Jersey Alliance for Immigrant Justice, borough officials were able to design the parameters of the program.
- The Highland Park Municipal ID will display the resident’s full name, photograph, date of birth, place of residence, signature, and card issue/expiration dates.
- An applicant age 14 and up must establish his or her identity and residency as stipulated in the Borough’s ordinance.
- The fee for the Highland Park Municipal ID is $15 for adults, $7 for children, veterans, disabled and senior citizens. The borough may allow residents who cannot afford to pay such fees to submit a hardship application to be granted a full or partial fee waiver.
- At the cardholder’s request, the ID will include the resident’s self-designated gender.
- To assure confidentiality, the borough will not retain original records or copies of records related to the application and issuance of the ID.
- The card will include features that deter fraud, similar to those of a state-issued ID.
- Per state law, this card is not an accepted form of ID to purchase tobacco or alcohol (please refer to the NJSA code for more information)