Difficulty getting your license or Star Card? New Ada County office to expand services
As the May deadline approaches for Idahoans to obtain their Star Card, a new driver’s license location in Star City Hall may reduce wait times for Ada County residents.
The new location is a partnership between the Ada County Sheriff’s Office and Star, which opted to utilize unused office space to expand the service to its city hall.
“Citizens around Star pretty much have to go about 17 miles almost in any direction to get their driver’s license done and so we’ve always wanted to bring those services here,” Mayor Trevor A. Chadwick said in an interview.
“We created this partnership with the sheriff’s office and we don’t charge them to use that space. I don’t believe that the Star community should be charging each other like that because you’re just spreading around tax dollars that can be utilized elsewhere.”
Last year, Ada County had a total of 223,597 driver’s license transactions, according to Ada County Sheriff Public Information Officer Lauren Montague.
With three Ada County locations — Boise, Meridian and Star — wait times for an appointment are about two weeks. Appointments may be available sooner once the Star location scales up following a ribbon cutting Wednesday.
So far, the appointments have gone smoothly. Deputy Fire Chief Victor Islas and a city council member have already utilized the new service, Chadwick said.
The additional location comes as Star continues to see fast growth.
“There is a lot of people migrating to our state and our valley — not one city, I’ve learned, is exempt from that — but Star was the smallest one in the Treasure Valley and was just ripe to grow,” said Chadwick, a born-and-raised Star resident.
With continued growth across Ada County comes the occasional growing pains like increased wait times for services. As the federal deadline for a Star Card (or REAL ID) approaches on May 7, 2025, the new location might help those working to beat the deadline.
“Although other approved documents, like a passport, can be used to board a plane or enter a federal facility after May 7, 2025, the Idaho Star Card is the most convenient, while at the same time providing adequate security for the traveling public,” Idaho Lt. Gov. Scott Bedke said in a statement last year regarding the change.
Following the deadline, travelers will need an Idaho Star Card (or another state’s REAL ID) or passport to board a commercial flight. Last year, approximately 49% of Idahoans with a driver’s license had their Star Card, according to the Idaho Transportation Department’s website.
To schedule an appointment visit the Idaho Transportation website.