UPDATE 8/24/2026

September ID Assistance Events:

Wednesday Sept 9, 2026: William Temple House, 2023 NW Hoyt, 12:30 pm, limit 20

Friday Sept 11, 2026: Blanchet House, 310 NW Glisan, 11:30 am, limit 40

Tuesday Sept 15, 2026: Streetbooks at the St. Francis Apartments, 1177 SE Stark, 1:30 pm, limit 30

All events are first-come, first-served, no reservations or appointments.

If you’d like to contribute to ID Assistance, you can Venmo me at Paul-J-Susi, or write a check to:

Paul Susi, PO Box 3072, Portland, OR 97208.

Future ID Assistance events will be posted here once confirmed. Good luck!

This is a mutual-aid project. I assist individuals seeking to replace lost ID documents–including Driver’s Licenses, ID Cards, and Birth Certificates.

I write personal checks directly to the DMV that the individual can present in person to replace their lost ID, or mail to their state office of Vital Statistics to obtain their replacement birth certificates.

Individuals needing this assistance can show up in person at any of my regular ID Assistance Clinics. I host three or four clinics per month.

This project began out of my own anger at the bureaucratic obstacles for folx seeking employment and / or affordable housing in Portland, OR. Many nonprofits are able to assist individuals by waiving the fees for a driver’s license or ID card replacement, but almost none of those same organizations are prepared to assist in replacing the birth certificates necessary for obtaining those same driver’s licenses or ID cards. Additionally, many individuals utilizing Declaration of Homelessness waivers report being poorly treated by DMV officials as a result of appearing with those waivers, and people are frequently denied the waiver for procedural reasons, resulting in an inability to replace their lost ID.

The intention of this project is to assist folx experiencing houselessness and homelessness.

That said, I do not ask for any proof of income or poverty. This resource is at no cost to folx seeking assistance.

This is funded purely by my own savings, by donations from my own social networks, and by partnerships with existing orgs. I hold a current notary public commission in Multnomah County.

Real ID Act-compliant IDs

REAL-ID compliant IDs are an extra $30 fee on top of the regular fees associated with ID cards or Driver’s Licenses. They require a birth certificate, a passport, another ID document (social security, Driver’s License, etc.), and at least two pieces of mail addressed to you at your residential address. If you do not have all of these items already, it’s futile to request my assistance in obtaining a Real ID Act-compliant ID. Real-ID Act-compliant ID’s are only required for flying domestically at this time. All other functions of an ID (law enforcement requests, banking, housing, health care access, birth certificate replacement, etc.) are fulfilled by regular IDs at this time. Additionally, for reasons unknown to me, the DMV is not always accepting my checks for Real ID Act-compliant IDs. They have always accepted my checks for regular IDs (assuming that all the information that you bring corresponds to their requirements).

As I work a full time job outside of this project, I regret that I’m unable to meet outside of those scheduled events at those times and places. No appointments necessary, no one turned away for lack of funds. If you have any questions, please email me!

Funding

I’ve been doing this work since 2022. In the years that I’ve been doing this project, I’ve helped over 1600+ individuals. This is mostly from my own savings, but many friends, audiences, and loved ones have also contributed to this project. Donations gladly accepted! Please email me if you’d like to help, or if you’d like to learn how to implement this same resource in your community.

I perform The Great Minotaur in people’s homes / found spaces as a way of funding this project. Please contact me directly if you’d like to host a performance!