TORONTO, Ont. — In a move to strengthen security, the identification documents accepted when applying for a driver’s licence in Ontario have been changed by the Ministry of Transportation and will go into effect on Jan. 23.

The Ontario provincial government made the changes to fulfill recommendations outlined in the Auditor General of Ontario’s 2005 report, which suggested limiting the number of identification documents accepted by the ministry.

“This is part of our government’s ongoing plan to enhance the security of Ontario’s driver’s licences and the issuance process. The new requirements have been developed with other provincial and state governments to ensure the identity of individuals applying for a driver’s licence,” said Harinder Takhar, transportation minister of Ontario.

At the time of application documents must show the applicant’s legal name, date of birth and signature. Documents must be original and valid, as photocopies and expired documents are not acceptable.

A full list of acceptable documents is available on the ministry’s Web site at www.mto.gov.on.ca and at DriveTest Centres.