---
type: "Bill"
title: "Special identification cards; application by guardian."
description: "Special identification cards; application byguardian. Authorizes the parent of any person under the ageof 18 or the legal guardian of any person to apply for a specialidentification card on behalf of such person. Current law authorizes the parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of 15 toapply for a special identification card on behalf of such person."
jurisdiction: "us/states/va"
legislature: "Virginia General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 1961"
citation: "Virginia HB 1961 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Robert B. Bell"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 24
vote_count: 7
first_action: "2021-01-11"
last_action: "2021-03-24"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/d4e03f52-bc40-4aa3-93f8-de7cf9c34b52"
source_url: "https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+sum+HB1961"
source_hash: "07849a5ffbc886bb0b4cbc25b5924d26a020dc19ef5e39da4b9786872c73d627"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-va"]
---

# Virginia HB 1961 (2021) — Special identification cards; application by guardian.

Special identification cards; application byguardian. Authorizes the parent of any person under the ageof 18 or the legal guardian of any person to apply for a specialidentification card on behalf of such person. Current law authorizes the parent or legal guardian of any person under the age of 15 toapply for a special identification card on behalf of such person.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **CHAP0319** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+CHAP0319)
2. **HB1961ER** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+HB1961ER)
3. **Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/21 21101694D** (committee substitute) — [source](https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?212+ful+HB1961)

## Votes

- VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N) — **98–0** (pass) · lower
- Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N) — **9–0** (pass) · lower
- Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N) — **39–0** (pass) · upper
- Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Transportation (15-Y 0-N) — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Transportation (14-Y 0-N) — **14–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported from Transportation (22-Y 0-N) — **21–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Robert B. Bell — primary (person)
- Dan I. Helmer — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-11** Prefiled and ordered printed; offered 01/13/21 21101694D `introduction`
- **2021-01-11** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-14** Assigned Transportation sub: Motor Vehicles `referral-committee`
- **2021-01-15** Impact statement from DPB (HB1961)
- **2021-01-18** Subcommittee recommends reporting (9-Y 0-N)
- **2021-01-21** Reported from Transportation (22-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2021-01-22** Read first time `reading-1`
- **2021-01-25** Read second time and engrossed `reading-2`
- **2021-01-26** Read third time and passed House BLOCK VOTE (99-Y 0-N) `passage, reading-3`
- **2021-01-26** VOTE: Block Vote Passage (99-Y 0-N)
- **2021-01-27** Constitutional reading dispensed
- **2021-01-27** Referred to Committee on Transportation `referral-committee`
- **2021-02-05** Continued to 2021 Sp. Sess. 1 in Transportation (15-Y 0-N)
- **2021-02-11** Reported from Transportation (14-Y 0-N) `committee-passage`
- **2021-02-15** Constitutional reading dispensed (39-Y 0-N)
- **2021-02-16** Read third time `reading-3`
- **2021-02-16** Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N) `passage`
- **2021-02-19** Enrolled
- **2021-02-19** Signed by Speaker
- **2021-02-22** Impact statement from DPB (HB1961ER)
- **2021-02-22** Signed by President
- **2021-02-24** Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on February 24, 2021
- **2021-02-24** Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., March 31, 2021
- **2021-03-24** Approved by Governor-Chapter 319 (effective 7/1/21) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/d4e03f52-bc40-4aa3-93f8-de7cf9c34b52`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).