Palm Beach County Tax Collector Anne Gannon recently announced the addition of road tests and non-citizen services to the western communities and a multicultural “toolkit” for use by all motorists in the county.
She said the Belle Glade Service Center is now a one-stop shop for all tax and driver license transactions for residents in the Tri-Cities area.
Anne Gannon
The “License to Drive” county-wide education program is designed to assist residents understand the changes in both state and federal laws that impact driver licenses and identification cards. The new multicultural “License to Drive” toolkit includes a document organizer which is multi-functional. The document organizer lists the required documents as well as where to get them if you can’t locate them.
It also doubles as a storage place where you can keep the documents as you gather them, she said. Finally, the new toolkit includes improved checklists in English, Spanish and Creole. All of these documents are also available on Gannon’s website at www.taxcollectorpbc.com.
In 2010, the Florida Legislature transferred the issuance of driver licenses to all constitutional tax collectors. In 2005, the United States Congress passed the Real ID Act in an effort to prevent terrorism.
The Real ID Act requires individuals to bring original certified documentation proving birth, Social Security number and residence prior to being issued a driver’s license or identification card. People under the age of 50 have until December 2014 and people over the age of 50 have until December 2017 to become Real ID compliant. Anyone who is not Real ID compliant by these dates will not be permitted to board a commercial flight or enter a federal building.
Gannon created the “License to Drive” public education program to help citizens better prepare for what she characterizes as a time-consuming and often complicated process. The toolkit was developed with input from Palm Beach County community leaders and the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles.
For the official launch of new driver license services in the western communities, Gannon was joined by other elected officials including State Rep. Mack Bernard, County Commission Vice-chair Shelley Vana, and Belle Glade Mayor Steve Wilson, Mayor Belle Glade.
At the launch, Gannon also announced her agency’s partnership with the Florida Highway Patrol. “We are able to provide approximately 40 needy families with free infant and toddler booster seats today,” she said. “This is made possible by the $2 Difference Child Seat Program.”
“Child safety is paramount. We are especially pleased to be able to do this during these tough economic times,” Gannon said. “I want to thank the Highway Patrol for making this possible.”
Gannon launched the first Full Service Center in Delray Beach at 501 South Congress on September 13. Target dates to expand driver license services throughout the rest of the county are: Palm Beach Gardens on January 24, 2011; Lantana on February 22, 2011 and Royal Palm Beach on April 4, 2011