New Orleans will join a growing list of cities across the country offering municipal identification cards to residents.

City councilors voted unanimously Thursday to move forward with creating a new ID program after years of planning. Members said it could benefit thousands of residents who cannot access Louisiana driver’s licenses or other traditional forms of government identification.

“We want everyone in the city to come get one of these IDs,” said Helena Moreno, president of the city council. “Whether you are re-entering after being incarcerated, homeless, escaping domestic violence or if you do not meet the criteria for a state ID.”

The cards will not be available immediately and leaders did not offer a specific timeline for them. But the Mayor’s Office of Human Rights and Equity said it would immediately begin working on the process of producing and issuing the IDs.

Each card will include details similar to other forms of government identification, such as photograph, legal name, date of birth, date of issue, expiration date, identification number and New Orleans city seal. Residents can also choose to include their address, disability status, or preferred gender marker.

The cards will be valid for use in all city departments, according to the ordinance. That could mean easier access to libraries, public transportation and local banking providers, among other services.

However, they will not replace state driver’s licenses, birth certificates, or other federal forms of identification. The cards will not allow residents to register to vote, Moreno said.

Dozens of other municipalities in the United States have created similar municipal ID card programs in recent years, including San Francisco, Los Angeles, Little Rock and Princeton.

Research shows the programs have proven popular. Nearly 21 million U.S. citizens over the age of 18 do not have a current (unexpired) state driver’s license, according to a survey by the Center for Democracy and Civic Engagement at the University of Maryland.

The lack of a government-issued ID can create barriers to everyday tasks, such as renting an apartment, reporting a crime to police or even ordering drinks at a local bar, said JP Morrell, councilor at large.

“This is about making sure the people of this city have what they need,” Morrell said. “It makes people feel like an established member of the New Orleans community.”

City-issued IDs are especially popular among immigrant communities and advocates. Having any form of government identification can break down barriers for undocumented people living in American cities, said Julie Yael Ward, a member of Home is Here NOLA, a grassroots organization that works with recent immigrants to the Gulf South.

“This can be a real protection for people who may be profiled,” he said. “Especially now, when people need to hear that.”

The city council can incentivize the use of the cards by adding benefits for all users, such as “free days” at local museums and other rewards, Moreno said. Other groups that could benefit from the city’s new ID cards include children ages 10 to 17 and trans and nonbinary residents who cannot list their preferred gender on state ID cards.

“Access to all resources in New Orleans should be a protected right and a priority for our city government,” Moreno said.