Phoenix police officers begin accepting consular identification cards

PHOENIX — Phoenix police officers are now accepting consular identification cards issued by foreign governments.

The policy change follows Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey on March 5 signing SB1420 into law, which requires the state to accept the ID cards if a foreign government uses biometric identity verification techniques including fingerprint identification and retina scans.

The law doesn’t take effect until August, but the Phoenix Police Department decided to proactively begin the change in policy.

Consular identification cards issued by the Mexican government are part of the change and Phoenix police are receiving help from the Mexican Consulate to train all officers to be familiar with the ID cards, according to a press release.

Sponsored by Republican state Sen. Paul Boyer, the bill passed the state legislature with bipartisan support on Feb. 24.

“I’m grateful to the sponsor and the bipartisan majority of legislators who supported this policy that enhances public safety by offering a secure, reliable form of identification to be accepted in Arizona,” Ducey said in a letter announcing the signing of the bill.

“This legislation will ensure that law enforcement is able to quickly and accurately identify more of the individuals with whom they interact.”

Ducey added in the letter that the bill doesn’t authorize new rights or responsibilities for non-citizens.

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