Q:  Can an Oregon resident use a post office box address to get a driver’s license from the Department of Motor Vehicles?

A: Yes and no. In order to get an Oregon Driver’s License, an applicant needs proof of an Oregon address, and a P.O. box address alone won’t cut it, said DMV spokesman David House.

“You have to prove you have an address in Oregon,” he said. “Too many people ... falsely claim to be Oregon residents, because (it’s) one of cheapest places to register a car.”

House said this rule has been around for decades, because drivers are supposed to have only one license in one state.

“In my time, we’ve never accepted a P.O. box by itself because that’s the first thing that out-of-state residents try to do,” he said.

House added that the DMV stiffened requirements three years ago, when it began to disallow lease and rental agreements for apartments and condos. Instead, an applicant has to bring in a utility, bank or credit card bill to show proof of residence. “There’s too many people showing us fake documents, so we had to tighten things up.

“It is a challenge. ... Every time you make things more difficult for crooks, it also makes it more difficult for the honest people. That’s just one of those unfortunate facts of issuing identification.”

Other acceptable documents include utility hookup orders, loan payment booklets, voter registration cards, or documents from credit card companies, the U.S. Treasury, the Social Security Administration, state and federal agencies, educational institutions and insurance companies. A recently issued mortgage document or a statement from the applicant’s spouse or domestic partner — if they have the same address — also is admissible. He added that the DMV also accepts such documents that contain both the P.O. box address and the physical address.

For more information, those interested can call a local DMV office for help in proving residency, or visit www.oregondmv.com.

— Jessica Musicar, Staff Writer