My life is pretty much in limbo right now. I can't get a job because I don't have a bank account and I can't get a bank account because I don't have an ID and I can't get an ID because my parents wont get me one. I've been asking for a bank account ever since I graduated high school back in 2016 but they just keep telling me "We'll get you one eventually, we just don't have time right now" despite the fact that they sit around playing video games all day. What frustrates me even more, is that they let my sister get a bank account and a part time job back when she was still in high school.
this post was submitted on 04 Nov 2025
0 points (NaN% liked)
Asklemmy
51663 readers
401 users here now
A loosely moderated place to ask open-ended questions
Search asklemmy π
If your post meets the following criteria, it's welcome here!
- Open-ended question
- Not offensive: at this point, we do not have the bandwidth to moderate overtly political discussions. Assume best intent and be excellent to each other.
- Not regarding using or support for Lemmy: context, see the list of support communities and tools for finding communities below
- Not ad nauseam inducing: please make sure it is a question that would be new to most members
- An actual topic of discussion
Looking for support?
Looking for a community?
- Lemmyverse: community search
- sub.rehab: maps old subreddits to fediverse options, marks official as such
- !lemmy411@lemmy.ca: a community for finding communities
~Icon~ ~by~ ~@Double_A@discuss.tchncs.de~
founded 6 years ago
MODERATORS
Yikes, that's a long time to be stuck in what sounds like an abusive family dynamic. I'm so sorry.
I'm guessing you've looked into any possible alternative routes to an ID?
I have not looked into that, if there are other ways of getting an ID that are legal, I might try them.
Yeah, you should. What country are you in?
I live in the US. I actually checked online for what my state requires to get an ID and I don't think it's possible for me to do without my parents. The only things I have access to are my SSN and possibly my birth certificate but I would need to provide several additional documents that I either don't have access to or have no idea how to provide them. It also seems like there isn't a way to get one online unless you've previously gotten one, which I obviously haven't.
So you're in your 20's, in the states, and have never had a bank account?
I won't make assumptions about how that happened. I'm Canadian so I don't know how helpful this will be since our regulations are a bit different, but have you tried just walking into a bank with everything you have and explaining the situation? If they can't set up an account they should at least be able to point you in the right direction.
In Canada we can get a driver's learner permit with minimal ID. Birth certificate, SSN and proof of address should be enough. If you can get that you'll have a government issued photo ID and you'll be set. Alternatively, we can get a provincial ID with minimum documentation, if you can't get a driver's licence. There must be some equivalent in the states.
Another option is to get someone to notorize a document and photo that says you are you. Just call a notary near you and ask how.
I would try going to the bank on my own, but I'm not allowed to leave the house alone because my parents will threaten to call the police on me because they think I'm suicidal.
That also rules out the last thing you said because even if I could get an ID through that method, I still wont be able to get a bank account.