Boise, USA - A Bonner County man won’t be able to get a driver’s license unless he provides his Social Security number — even though the requirement burdens his right to exercise his religion — the Idaho Court of Appeals has ruled.
Lawrence Lewis sued the Idaho Department of Transportation, claiming that the department was wrong to deny him a license based on his refusal to provide his Social Security number. Lewis, who believes the government-issued number is either the biblical “mark of the beast” or a precursor to the mark of the beast, said that using the number would violate his Christian religion.
But the appellate court, upholding a lower court decision, ruled Aug. 17 in Lewis v. Idaho Department of Transportation that a federal law requires that the state collect Lewis’ Social Security number before it issues him a driver’s license.
“The ruling is very disappointing,” said Lewis’ lawyer, Herbert Titus of McLean, Va. “Essentially the court ruled that a federal law that requires the recording of a driver’s license, this pre-empts the state law that is designed to protect religious freedom.”
Titus said he had not yet discussed the ruling with Lewis, so he did not know if Lewis would continue to fight the matter in court.
The case began after Lewis tried to renew his driver’s license but refused to put his Social Security number on the application, according to court documents. However, Transportation Department workers told Lewis he would have to give his number — unless he had proof he had never been issued one — or he would be denied the license renewal.
Lewis was issued a Social Security number in 1963, according to court documents, but stopped using it and even unsuccessfully tried to have the Social Security Administration revoke the number.
The driver’s license debate went before 1st District Judge Steven Verby, who found that though Lewis’ religious motivation was sincere, the state had a compelling interest in collecting the Social Security numbers of driver’s license applicants in order to comply with federal law.
Part of the federal Welfare Reform Act requires that states collect the numbers from driver’s license applicants to make it easier to track down deadbeat parents who are dodging child support payments.
Unless Lewis could get the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to say that there was another good way to ensure the effectiveness of the state child support enforcement system, his religious freedom would have to be burdened, the appellate court ruled.