State issued driver's license, artifact?

By Anonymous on Thu, 12/03/2015 - 18:47

Forums

I've gone round and round with this, had one post all typed up and then decided I figured it out and deleted it, but then decided I had no clue. So here I am again.

My dad's driver's license, the actual one he carried in his wallet. It gives his dob (and so far I've not gotten my hands on a birth certficate) and address, proves residence, etc. Is it considered an Artifact?

I've searched this forum for any mention of driver's licenses, no luck.

I did look at state records, Misc. Licenses, 9.19, but that doesn't seem to apply as they reference a record group.

I'm thinking it's an artifact. So I looked at "Private Holdings: Artifact" QuickCheck Model, p105 and it doesnt' really work for this.

And if that's true, it's an artifact, then I imagine that his Social Security card is too, right? I tried to find a definition for artifact and failed.

Thanks!

Teresa

 

Submitted byEEon Thu, 12/03/2015 - 21:37

Teresa, great question. No one has raised this one before.

The basic issue is this: Where and how did you acquire the document? With driver licenses, we cannot write a state department and ask for a copy of so-and-so's driver license. What you have is, indeed, a family artifact—something handed down through family channels. The basic format for that is at EE 3.25.

The same holds true for his personal Social Security card that you now hold. If you were to write SSA and ask for his application form (the SS-5), then you would cite that copy as an archived government record supplied to you by that agency. But your father's personal card is now a family artifact.

Submitted byRaul_Gon Sat, 01/02/2016 - 15:25

This is much like the question I came on this site to answer.  I have copies of my mothers old passports.  One from Britain, and the other from when she became a US citizen.  I have been looking through my EE book trying to figure out how to cite them, but my best guess is that they are artifacts as well, much like the drivers license above.

Would you agree, or am barking up the wrong tree?

Thanks.

Raul