NEWS / Implementation of Real ID acts puts Florida woman without birth certificate in bureaucratic limbo

As the Real ID Act is set to take effect on May 7, individuals across the US will now be facing stricter document requirements when applying for a driver’s license or non-driver state ID. Due to the implementation of the Act, a number of individuals without the required documents have been stuck in limbo being unable to renew their licenses and/or IDs. Among such individuals is Jessie Lovette, a resident of Miami Gardens, Florida.

Lovette was born in Georgia during the 1940s when the state still had oppressive and racially discriminating Jim Crow laws in place, which resulted in her mom giving birth at home. A birth certificate for her birth was never issued, which created numerous problems for Lovette throughout her life.

“It's like I'm nobody,” Lovette was quoted by CBS News Miami as stating. “That's how I feel. I was embarrassed to tell my children."

Lovette went on to say that the issue was partly caused by the fact that the midwife helping her mother could not read or write, another byproduct of the discriminatory Jim Crow laws in place at the time.

The woman explained that in the past, she did not have any problems obtaining a Florida State ID, as presenting a birth certificate was not required. Once Lovette’s state ID expired in July 2020, she became unable to renew it, as Florida introduced Real ID requirements. Her son hired a lawyer to attempt to obtain a delayed birth certificate from Georgia, but to no avail.

The absence of an ID has impacted Lovette’s ability to obtain medical care, with some doctors denying care. She was also unable to get a handicap sticker for her car.