A milestone in licensing of drivers here illegally
The state has issued more than 1 million special licenses since law took effect in 2015.
More than 1 million immigrants who lack legal U.S. residency have obtained special California driver’s licenses since the state first began issuing them a little more than three years ago, the state Department of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday.
Officials hailed the number as a major milestone.
Assembly Bill 60, which took effect in January 2015, requires the DMV to issue driver’s licenses if applicants can prove their identity and California residency, as well as meet all testing requirements, regardless of whether they can show they are in the country lawfully. As of March 30, about 1,001,000 immigrants have obtained the licenses, which are renewable after five years.
Supporters of the law argued that it would make roadways safer by requiring a driving test and providing less motivation for drivers afraid of being deported to flee the scene of a traffic accident.
Then-Assemblyman Luis Alejo, who wrote the landmark 2013 bill, called Wednesday’s news a win for all Californians.
“It’s been successful for over a million families who can now drive to work, take their kids to school in the morning or go see the doctor without fear that their car is going to be impounded,” said Alejo, now a Monterey County supervisor. “Now their lives are better, and our roads and highways are safer for everyone.”
The law passed after more than a decade of fierce debate. Critics at the time blasted California for giving out the licenses, saying they legitimize illegal immigration and make it easier for such immigrants to remain in the country.
The DMV originally estimated that 1.4 million immigrants were unlicensed and uninsured. In preparation for the new law, it opened four additional driver’s license processing centers, hired about 1,000 employees and extended office hours.
By the end of 2015, the DMV had issued 605,000 licenses under the law. Applications have since slowed to an average of 10,000 a month.
The licenses look similar to regular California licenses, except the front says, “Federal limits apply,” and the back states, “This card is not acceptable for official federal purposes. This license is issued only as a license to drive a motor vehicle. It does not establish eligibility for employment, voter registration, or public benefits.”
Immigrants in the U.S. illegally were allowed to obtain driver’s licenses nationwide until 1993, when California leaders decided to prohibit access and 46 other states followed suit. Now, 12 states plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico allow immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses.
Metropolitan Transportation Authority leaders attributed a decline in ridership over the last few years, in part, to the new licenses.
Stanford University researchers found that hitand-run accidents dropped an estimated 7% in California after AB 60 took effect.