Your ID & Documents

Before release (if you are still inside IDOC)

• You can request your birth certificate any time during your sentence (not later than 60 days before release).
• You can request your Social Security card starting 180 days before release.
• You can get a state ID within 365 days of release. A mobile BMV unit visits each facility at least twice a year.
• Your documents are put in your "release portfolio." Ask your case manager to start this early.

State ID at the BMV

Bring these to any BMV branch (each county page lists the closest one):

• 1 proof of identity: U.S. birth certificate or passport.
• 1 proof of Social Security: your card, a W-2, or a pay stub showing your full number.
• 2 proofs of Indiana address: for example a bank statement, pay stub, or Medicaid statement. If you are homeless or in a shelter or halfway house, ask for the Indiana Residency Affidavit.

Bring your IDOC release papers too and ask whether they help. Can't pay? Indiana gives a free ID card for voting purposes. You regain the right to vote the day you leave jail or prison, even on probation or parole, so ask for it by name.

Birth certificate

• Order from the Indiana Department of Health or your county health department.
• $10 for the first copy, $4 for each extra copy on the same order. Online vendors add fees. Mail orders can take weeks, so the county health office is often faster.

Social Security card

• A replacement card is free. Apply at ssa.gov or call 1-800-772-1213 for an appointment.
• The card comes in the mail, usually in 5 to 10 business days.

Right after that

• Apply for food and health coverage at fssabenefits.in.gov or call 800-403-0864.
• Register to vote at indianavoters.in.gov.
• Stuck? Dial 2-1-1 (Mon–Fri 7 AM–7 PM) or text your ZIP code to 898-211.

Sources

• IDOC policy 01-07-101, Vital Records & Credentials
• Indiana BMV: documents · BMV: free voter ID
• Indiana Dept. of Health fee schedule · SSA · Indiana 211