alif. to pursue emergency action on regulations for issuing driver's licenses to immigrants in U.S. illegally
Facing
a deadline of Jan. 2 to begin issuing driver’s licenses to Californians
in the country illegally, state officials said Friday they will pursue
emergency approval of regulations that spell out which documents must be
provided to prove identity and state residency.
The Legislature and governor in 2013 approved a new law that requires the state Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver’s license, starting in 2015, to anyone who can prove their identity and California residence as well as pass a driving-knowledge and road-skills test.8
The
public process for approving the documentation has taken months so the
normal 180-day timeline for enacting regulations will take too long to
meet the Jan. 2 deadline. The state will pursue the normal process but
also an emergency process that takes 15 days and goes through the state
Office of Administrative Law.
“Our commitment is to successfuly implement this law to increase safety on California roads and protect the high level of security in our licensing and identity verification process,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto in a statement.
An estimated 1.4 million people are expected to apply for the new driver's license during the first three years.
To prove identity, residents can provide specific documents including a California driver’s license or identification card, a Mexican federal electoral card, a consular card or a foreign passport that is accompanied by a verifiable Social Security number.
If
those documents that are electronically verifiable are not available,
applicants must provide a foreign birth certificate and other documents
including a foreign identification card. If the described documents
don’t prove residency in California, applicants can submit documents
including school records, income tax returns, court documents and
marriage certificates.
“Californians planning to apply for a new driver license under AB 60 should study for their exams and gather the required documents for proving identity and residency,” Shiomoto said.
The Legislature and governor in 2013 approved a new law that requires the state Department of Motor Vehicles to issue a driver’s license, starting in 2015, to anyone who can prove their identity and California residence as well as pass a driving-knowledge and road-skills test.8
“Our commitment is to successfuly implement this law to increase safety on California roads and protect the high level of security in our licensing and identity verification process,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto in a statement.
To prove identity, residents can provide specific documents including a California driver’s license or identification card, a Mexican federal electoral card, a consular card or a foreign passport that is accompanied by a verifiable Social Security number.
“Californians planning to apply for a new driver license under AB 60 should study for their exams and gather the required documents for proving identity and residency,” Shiomoto said.
