🪪 Free, one-on-one help getting the ID you need
A pro bono program of Lawyers for Good Government — currently serving New York, at no cost to participants.
🧭 What is CIVIC
The Connecting Individuals to Vital ID Cards (CIVIC) program is a project of Lawyers for Good Government (L4GG) that connects volunteers with individuals seeking information about how to obtain government-issued identification documents. Volunteers provide guided assistance to help participants understand the steps required to apply for identification documents in their state. The program is offered at no cost to participants.
📊 Why This is Important
Americans have no government-issued photo ID of any kind.
Adult U.S. citizens either don't have a driver's license or state ID, or have one that no longer works for them because they've moved or changed their name without getting a new one.
🔑 Everyday life runs through this one document. You need an ID to apply for school, get a job, obtain housing, receive social services or government benefits, obtain healthcare, open a bank account, get a credit card, cash a check, or even donate plasma — and, in the states that require it, to vote.
🗂️ What We Help With
A CIVIC volunteer helps you make sense of the rules and procedures for getting identification documentation, walking through required forms and helping you understand what documentation you'll need to gather.
We're starting in New York, with plans to expand this program to additional states.
✅ Who Can Get Help
Services are available if you are:
- 🎂An adult: We work only with adult participants, or their assigned caseworker.
- 🇺🇸A U.S. citizen: These documents are often used for voting, so this program serves people who identify as U.S. citizens.
- 🪪Seeking a REAL ID: For state-issued photo ID, we guide participants on obtaining REAL IDs — the only IDs that meet federal standards for boarding a flight or entering a federal building.
🔄 How It Works
Sign up: If you are a NYC resident and would like to request a free consultation on how to obtain your identity documents, fill out our Intake Form for Services in New York below.
Get matched: We match you with a trained CIVIC volunteer, who will reach out by phone to schedule your free consultation.
Meet with your trained CIVIC volunteer: You'll meet over a video call (or phone, if needed) so your volunteer can walk through the relevant forms with you, step by step.
Apply on your own: You complete and submit your own application and pay any government fees required — your trained CIVIC volunteer guides you, but doesn't file anything on your behalf.
📝 Connecting Individuals to Vital ID Cards (CIVIC) — Intake Form for Services in New York
🤝 Know someone who could refer people to us?
If you run a library, shelter, legislative office, or community organization, you likely already talk to people who could use this service. You don't take on any casework — just point them to the intake form above, and a trained CIVIC volunteer takes it from there, for free.
Want outreach materials (a printed handout, sample email copy) to share with your community? Reach out to the CIVIC team:
📧 lauren@lawyersforgoodgovernment.org