Illinois residents who do not have visas can apply for a temporary. Secretary of state wants protection of undocumented. If the law passes, illinois would become the largest and most populated state with such legislation. Ten states in 20 including illinois enacted laws allowing unauthorized immigrants to receive drivers licenses or permits, according to the national conference of state legislatures. Unlike a drivers license, the driving card could not be used for federal identification or federal purposes such as voting.
These undocumented nonvisastatus individuals are now able to apply for a temporary visitor drivers license tvdl. The program will expand to other locations in january. Undocumented in illinois can apply for drivers license. A noncitizen drivers license in the state of illinois is called a temporary visitor drivers. House committee clears immigrant drivers license bill. Drivers license for immigrants illinois legal aid online. Undocumented immigrants may obtain drivers licenses in. This new law will take 10 months before it is enacted but it is a welcome change for many immigrants in illinois who previously feared driving for fear. Although under colorado law undocumented drivers are eligible for licenses.
Illinois secretary of states office secretary of state jesse white knows where 235,000 undocumented immigrants live in illinois and he doesnt. New law allows undocumented immigrants to apply for drivers. I had an illinois drivers license because i had daca. Illinois may extend driving benefits to undocumented. The state would use a multitier system to issue drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants, who would qualify for a license that could not be used for federal identification purposes. Drivers licensestate id card illinois secretary of state. State laws permitting this are on the books in california, colorado, connecticut, delaware, hawaii, illinois, maryland, new mexico, nevada, new york, oregon, utah, vermont, and washington. Thats why many states such as illinois have implemented a graduated driver licensing gdl program to combat this alarming statistic. The temporary visitor drivers licenses tvdls is a legal document permitting foreignborn individuals living in illinois to drive. Immigrants in the country illegally cannot produce the necessary documents like a social security card to obtain a drivers license under state laws. Illinois will offer drivers licenses to undocumented. If you are an undocumented immigrant, you may be able to get a tvdl as well. The proposed law breezed through the illinois house and senate with bipartisan support, giving 250,000 undocumented immigrants in the state opportunity to have a valid temporary drivers license.
All tvdl facilities, except for chicago north and chicago west locations, process tvdls without an appointment. Undocumented immigrants can soon get ny drivers licenses. The licenses come under the category tvdl temporary visitors drivers license, making them legal documents enabling immigrants that live in illinois to drive regardless of their legal. You can apply for a tvdl if you have a lawful immigration status. Senate bill 957, allowing undocumented residents living in illinois to obtain temporary visitor drivers licenses tvdls, became the law on december 3, 20. Colorado, connecticut, delaware, hawaii, illinois, maryland, nevada. During the gdl process, teens must achieve certain milestones prior. The illinois driver services department has stated that the goal of the program is to improve traffic safety, while underscoring the importance of drivers license integrity and security. The illinois house of representatives today voted to grant temporary drivers licenses to illegal immigrants, the final legislative step before democratic governor pat quinn is expected to sign the measure into law illinois would be the fourth state to offer some form of permits along with washington state and new mexico, which offer drivers licenses, and utah, which provides driving permits. According to the illinois government news network, in january of 20, illinois governor pat quinn signed a bill. Back in january 20, illinois passed a law extending driving opportunities to. Temporary visitor drivers license tvdl for undocumented nonvisa status individuals driver services.
Jesse white, secretary of state, temporary drivers license, undocumented immigrants. Temporary visitor drivers license for undocumented. Chicago wls the iteam investigated the newlyimplemented law allowing undocumented immigrants in illinois to get a drivers license. A new illinois law, which goes into effect in november 20, allows the state to issue a temporary visitor s driver s license to an applicant who 1 has resided in the state for more than one year, 2 is ineligible to obtain a social security number ssn, and 3 is unable to present documentation authorizing his or her presence in the u. Union county, new jersey, sheriff joseph cryan, for safety of all motorists, n. Undocumented immigrants seeking a license in illinois must show proof of insurance and, like other residents, must take a road test, a written test and a vision test.
Earlier this month, illinois secretary of state jesse white sent notice that his office does not share information about a persons legal status with ice, following national reports of agents using other states drivers license databases to identify undocumented persons. Illinois drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. A qualitative exploration of the process for obtaining dcs limited purpose drivers license researchers conducted 75 interviews to study the implementation of the district of columbias drivers safety amendment act of 20, which extended driving privileges to undocumented immigrants. As of january 2015, california residents who cannot establish legal presence in the united states may apply for a drivers license if they can show eligible proof of identification and residency in the state. So its possible that allowing undocumented immigrants to drive legally could reduce the number of uninsured vehicles. This legislation allows for the issuance of a drivers license to undocumented residents and protects the data of those applying for such privilege from unwarranted release.
On january 27, 20, the governor of illinois signed senate bill 957 into law allowing nonvisa status individuals to obtain a temporary visitor drivers license. It allows undocumented nonvisa status individuals to apply for a temporary visitor drivers license, also known as a tvdl. Illinois law allows nonvisa status individuals to obtain a temporary visitor drivers license tvdl. Expiration dates for driver s licenses, identification cards, vehicle registrations and other transactions and document filings will be extended at least 90 days after driver services facilities reopen. A new law in the state of illinois has given undocumented immigrants over 1,200 drivers licenses, an illinois secretary of state office spokesman says. House bill 1083 is a road safety issue, and economic issue as well. Illinois secretary of state wants to protect undocumented immigrants by legally denying federal agencies full access to the drivers licenses database to obtain someones legal status. The process is meant to keep roads safe, but may put. A tvdl does not serve as identification, meaning you. The issue is many who qualify for the license cannot get it. A state law approved in june to allow undocumented immigrants to apply for. The license is called temporary visitor drivers license tvdl. Access to drivers licenses national immigration law center. Explains the temporary visitors drivers license tvdl and who may qualify, including undocumented.
Undocumented immigrants get drivers licenses in illinois. Drivers license reforms and job accessibility among. Undocumented immigrants drive under different rules around. Illinois drivers license information for undocumented. For undocumented immigrants, getting a drivers license. Karen siciliano lucas, an advocacy attorney of the washingtonbased catholic legal immigration network inc. Lueders, hainmueller, and lawrence 2017 focus on the impact of license reform on accidents in. Temporary visitor drivers license for undocumented immigrants. All illinois secretary of state offices and driver services facilities are closed to the public due to the covid19 outbreak. The state of illinois issues a special drivers license to noncitizens who cannot get a ssn. Under illinois law, nonvisa status individuals undocumented immigrants who are unable to obtain a social security number may apply for a temporary visitor. Undocumented immigrants in new york will be able to apply for drivers licenses this week after the states socalled green light law went into effect monday.
The licenses come under the category tvdl temporary visitor s driver s license, making them legal documents enabling immigrants that live in illinois to drive regardless of their legal status. Illinois approves drivers licenses for undocumented. Undocumented immigrants in illinois began taking road tests on tuesday to qualify for drivers licenses, starting a process expected to be closely watched by. Immigrants in illinois without a visa or green card could soon carry one form of stateissued documentation a drivers license due to a law signed monday. This is because the real id act, passed by congress in 2005, requires that stateissued drivers licenses abide by certain standards by october 2020. These drivers licenses may not be used for identification purposes. Undocumented immigrants will now be able to get a drivers license in illinois. Undocumented in illinois can apply for drivers license october 29, 20 at 1. Illinois secretary of state jesse white announced that the temporary visitor driver s license tvdl for undocumented residents will be available by appointment only beginning in early december at four select driver services facilities. Illinois state drivers license for undocumented drivers.
Temporary visitor drivers license tvdl for undocumented nonvisa status individuals driver services illinois law allows nonvisa status individuals to obtain a temporary visitor drivers license tvdl. Illinois may grant drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Undocumented drivers license bill passes illinois house. Temporary visitor drivers license tvdl for undocumented. Toolkit access to drivers licenses national immigration law center. New law allows undocumented immigrants to apply for driver. How drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants would work. This law allows the secretary of state to issue a temporary visitors. Drivers licenses for illegal immigrants in the united. Juan, 34, lives in the champaignurbana area with his wife and four children. They also need to show they have lived in illinois for a year by providing a rental agreement or other documents. In 20, a new bill created the new temporary visitor drivers license program in illinois. A pilot program will begin at four state driver services facilities with an expansion at 21 other locations that started in january 2014. Undocumented immigrants a step closer to getting n.
Immigrants can currently take license tests at 14 locations across the state. The illinois general assembly returns on tuesday for the fall veto session, and one issue that lawmakers may consider is a measure to allow undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses. Under illinois law, those living in the country illegally can apply for a temporary visitor drivers license for undocumented nonvisa status individuals, said david druker, spokesman for the. States offering drivers licenses to immigrants ncsl. Beginning in 1993 with washington state, states and dc have changed their laws to allow immigrants in the country illegally to obtain drivers licenses. On january 27, 20, illinois governor quinn signed a new drivers license law sb 957 which enables undocumented immigrants in illinois to get temporary visitor drivers licenses tvdls. In the last legislative session, the general assembly passed senate bill 957, that will allow aliens who do not possess a visa or social security number to get licenses. California recently passed a measure to give deferred action recipients drivers licenses, but new mexico and washington state are the only two states that currently allow all undocumented drivers to get drivers licenses. The drivers license attorneys at the davis law group, p. Illinois is biggest state to issue license to undocumented immigrants, california up next. The department of motor vehicles may not disclose records to any agency that primarily enforces immigration law without a lawful court order or judicial warrant. Under the new state law sb 957, tvdls will be available to undocumented drivers. California drivers license for undocumented residents. Illinois house approves drivers licenses for illegal.
The illinois secretary of states office says more than 1,200 immigrants have received licenses since december under a new state law. Undocumented immigrants to get illinois drivers license. The drivers licenses for immigrants who are living in illinois illegally will be issued in december. Lake county sheriff mark curran, kane county sheriff patrick perez, cook county. Temporary visitor drivers license tvdl for undocumented non. Opponents have questioned how a law murphy approved last year that automatically registers people to vote if they apply for a drivers license or nondriver id card would apply to undocumented. What illinois offers undocumented immigrants chicago. Undocumented immigrants start testing for illinois driver. While getting a drivers license is an exciting experience for any teen, traffic accidents are the leading cause of death for people 16 to 19 years old. Undocumented drivers license bill passes illinois house by elise foley washington the illinois house voted 6546 on tuesday in favor of a bill to give drivers licenses to undocumented immigrants, after advocates argued that the legislation could make the roads safer and prevent people from driving without insurance. Bill would allow those without legal immigration status to.
States issue drivers licenses under the constitutional authority of the 10th amendment. Illinois, indiana to provide licenses to some illegal. States and dc that allow drivers licenses for people in. Should provide licenses for undocumented drivers, starledger oped, nov. How to obtain an illinois temporary visitor drivers license. The illinois secretary of state recently announced the ground rules for drivers licenses for undocumented immigrants. Illegal immigrant license logjam, schemes uncovered by i. By law, no one may discriminate against a holder of an. Illinois house committee approves driver s licenses for illegal immigrants by tony arnold. By comparison, among states that issue drivers licenses to the undocumented, illinois has the secondmost undocumented residents, with 475,000, or about 4 percent of of those in the u. You must turn in the commercial drivers license, instructions permits and state id cards. A new law in the state of illinois has given undocumented immigrants over 1,200 driver s licenses, an illinois secretary of state office spokesman says. All tvdl facilities, except for chicago north and chicago. New illinois law allows undocumented immigrants to get.