North Dakota lawmakers agreed Wednesday to ban the use of Social Security numbers on drivers' licenses, and to prohibit retailers from printing complete credit-card numbers on purchase receipts.

Both measures are intended to prevent thieves from stealing the information.

"This is in case you forget to pick up your receipt, or misplace it," Rep. Woody Thorpe, D-Minot, said about the credit-card measure. "Someone would not have the information to go out and charge up a lot of charges to your account."

North Dakota's House voted 90-0 on Wednesday to approve the credit-card legislation. It has already been endorsed by the Senate, and now goes to Gov. John Hoeven for his review.

It says electronically printed receipts must not show the card's expiration date, or more than the last five digits of the card number.

The measure takes effect immediately for any cash register, or machine that prints credit-card receipts, that was put into service after Dec. 31. For machines used before then, the legislation does not take effect until January 2007.

The Social Security bill, which the Senate approved 46-0 on Wednesday, must get another House vote to discover if representatives are willing to add an emergency clause.

An emergency clause allows a bill to become law shortly after the governor signs it. Support from two-thirds of House members is needed to keep the bill's emergency status.

When representatives first endorsed it on Feb. 14, it was approved 81-6. Sixty-three votes are needed to keep the emergency clause.

Until recently, the Department of Transportation has relied on Social Security numbers as identifying numbers on drivers' licenses.

The agency has been phasing out their use since August 2001, after the Legislature approved a bill encouraging the department to promote another number.

The 2001 bill gave motorists the option of keeping their Social Security number on their driver's license if they wished. The new legislation says the Department of Transportation is barred in any circumstance from printing it on licenses.

Sen. Ryan Taylor, D-Towner, said removing a Social Security number from a driver's license will lessen the chance that it could be stolen or misused.

A Social Security number can be used to assume the person's identity to obtain credit cards, loans and goods, Taylor said.

"Identity thieves break into your identity, and they steal your good name. They steal your credit rating," he said. "And if they have your Social Security number, they don't even have to break in. The Social Security number simply unlocks the door, and they walk right in and go to work."

The Social Security-driver's license bill is HB1443. The credit card receipt bill is SB2037.