IBA Compliance Connection

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Does a customer’s matricula card verify their residency? If not, how else can we confirm a foreign customer’s residency?

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No, matricula cards (also called matricula consulars) do not confirm a customer’s residency, and you should request additional residency documentation, as discussed below.

Under the Illinois Consular Identification Document Act, a “consular identification document” is an official identification card issued by a foreign government through its consular offices to identify a foreign national living in Illinois. Pursuant to the Act, state agencies must accept matricula cards for identification purposes, but may require additional information in order to verify a current address. In addition, matricula cards may not be used to establish residency for a driver's license (other than a temporary visitor's driver's license). Therefore, we recommend requesting additional documentation in order to confirm a foreign customer’s residency, such as a mortgage, rental or lease agreement, utility bill, or any other document listed on the Secretary of State’s list of acceptable identification documents regarding residency (which we have linked to in our resources below).

For resources related to our guidance, please see:

  • Consular Identification Document Act, 5 ILCS 230/5(1) (“‘Consular identification document’ means an official identification card issued by a foreign government that meets all of the following requirements: . . . “)
  • Consular Identification Document Act, 5 ILCS 230/10(a) (“When requiring members of the public to provide identification, each State agency and officer and unit of local government shall accept a consular identification document as valid identification of a person.”)
  • Consular Identification Document Act, 5 ILCS 230/10(f) (“Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to prohibit a State agency or officer or a unit of local government from: (1) requiring additional information from persons in order to verify a current address or other facts that would enable the State agency or officer or unit of local government to fulfill its responsibilities. . .”)
  • Consular Identification Document Act, 5 ILCS 230/10(c) (“A consular identification document may not be accepted as identification for obtaining a driver's license, other than a temporary visitor's driver's license, or registering to vote.”)