Connecticut’s legislature has passed a bill that will allow immigrants without legal status to apply for driver’s licenses starting in January 2015. The licenses will say ‘for driving only’ and will not be valid as identification, and will need to be replaced every three years rather than the usual six. Governor Malloy has said he will sign the bill.
Because the new bill will not come into effect until January 2015, the only steps a noncitizen resident can take are to gather the proof of identity and address that will be needed to get the license.
Someone getting one of these licenses will need two forms of ID. The primary form of ID needs to be either a passport (valid, or expired for less than three years at the time of application) or a consular identification document. If your consulate can issue both a passport and a second ID document, like a photo ID card, you should be in good shape. You will also need some kind of proof of address for the 90 days prior to applying– bills or letters addressed to you at home, a pay stub, or a tax receipt are good examples.
As an additional security measure, the DMV will run a background check to make sure any illegal applicant has never committed a felony in Connecticut. If the background check comes back clear, they will mail your permit to the address you gave them. The permit will let you make an appointment to take the driver’s test, at which point the license would be issued.
If you’d like to read more news about this new bill, you can see the Hartford Courant’s coverage, or the Connecticut Mirror’s article.
The law is being passed to try and ensure that all Connecticut drivers are licensed and qualified, and while the delay before it takes effect is a little frustrating, it’s still a step in a the right direction
We all owe tremendous thanks to people and groups like United Action, CONECT and Unidad Latina in Acción, who worked hard for many years to convince the legislature to treat driver’s licenses as a safety and insurance issue rather than an anti-immigrant political issue.
