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by throw20251220 129 days ago
Since when the city one lives in is mentioned in the birth certificate?
1 comments

It was only one example they gave, and they accept multiple different types of ID; a driver's license or national ID card being other likely ones, and DLs do say where you live.
None of those documents reliably state my city of residence. At best they document where I once lived, but not even that is guaranteed.
Not updating your DL after changing your address is a crime* in all US states. I'm not as familiar with law elsewhere, but would be surprised if that's not true most other places.

*There are exceptions for active duty military personal and other limited exceptions.

It is a law but rarely enforced, also some places like Washington are primarily digital meaning you update your DL address online but they don’t print a new ID unless you request it or your DL is expired
That's pathetic. It would mean you can't live anywhere without a street address, such as a camp site or a ship. You also can't be a nomad.

So much for "land of the free".

Unless you’re wild camping, campsites have addresses. So do marinas where a ship would need to be docked more or less regularly to establish residency.

As for being a nomad, you don’t need a driver’s license or any kind of ID to wander if you’re willing to sleep rough. If you want to drive on public roadways though, you better have a primary address where the courts can send someone if you kill someone in a traffic accident and bail.

Docking is expensive, so no. It's also only needed once per 5 years or so for maintenance.

Government fining you a ticket doesn't mean your address has to be on the drivers license. They could register the number plate to an SSN for instance.

For most situations where you don't have a permanent address, your address is either the place where you receive mail or the courthouse.
And if you don't have a place to receive mail?
In some places in the U.S. it is (or at least was until recently) illegal to be healthy and unemployed.
America is one of the least free countries — they think they're free because the guns=free principle is drilled into them since birth, but it's a lie.
You are legally required to update those within 10 days of moving.