January 6, 2016 3:16 PM - The Sacramento Bee
California immigrants claim 605,000 driverfs licenses in first year
By Jeremy B. White
Immigrants in the country illegally received 605,000 California drivers
licenses in the first year of a program making the cards available.
The program has proved hugely popular so far, exceeding the Department of Motor Vehiclefs projections and
demolishing fears that an immigrant population fearful of public exposure would
not take advantage of the new licenses. The DMV said at the outset it expected
to distribute 1.4 million of the licenses over the programfs first three
years.
Much of the DMVfs activity in 2015 encompassed the new licenses. Of the
roughly 1,396,000 licenses the department issued in 2016, 43 percent went to
undocumented immigrants.
As is the case for traditional drivers licenses, undocumented immigrants must
still pass written and road tests. The licenses bear distinctive features
distinguishing them from the type of identification available to legal
residents.