Senate Bill 303, allowing undocumented immigrants living in Nevada to obtain driving authorization cards, becomes law, January 2, 2014. Nevada is among 11 states to approve driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
To obtain a driver’s authorization card, applicants must pass the Nevada Department of Motor Vehicles’ driving test, pay an annual fee and acquire liability insurance on their vehicles. Applications will not be accepted until January 2.
Out of the approximately 100,000 undocumented immigrants living in Nevada, an estimated 60,000 will apply for the driver’s authorization card. To obtain a Nevada driver’s license, proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, U.S. passport, or current immigration documents must be presented. Consular identification cards issued by foreign governments, foreign birth certificates and border crossing cards are not valid forms of identification.
Although the cards will allow individuals to legally drive in Nevada, it can’t be used as an official identification or to apply for state or federal benefits. The application fee ($22) is the same amount for a driver’s license, but unlike a regular license which is renewed every four years, the driver’s authorization card must be renewed annually.
Nevada’s law is patterned after a Utah law and is seen as critical to creating safer roads because it provides an opportunity for effective drivers’ education.
Documents You Will Need
To apply for a Driver Authorization Card, you must meet the requirements in three areas:
- Proof of Identity
- Translations of any documents not in English
- Proof of Residency Status
All documents must be originals. The Nevada DMV does not accept photocopies. Documents with an expiration date must be valid and unexpired.
Proof of Identity
Applicants may provide any of the documents required for a standard license,
OR one of the following documents:
- A Military Identification Card
- A Military Dependent Identification Card
- A DD Form 214 – “Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty”
- U.S. Certificate of Degree of Indian Blood OR two of the following documents:
- A driver’s license or identification card issued by another state, the District of Columbia, or any territory of the United States
- A driver authorization card issued by another state, the District of Columbia, or any other territory of the United States
- A passport issued by a foreign government
- A birth certificate issued by a foreign government
- A consular identification card
- Any document issued by a foreign government that the Department determines is substantially similar to a consular identification card
For a complete list of the current requirements, please see Residency and Proof of Identity.
Are you concerned about obtaining a license or confused about Senate Bill 303? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments section below!
