Thread: Wa: State to require proof for driver's lic. again

Immigration: State to require proof for driver's licenses again

LORNET TURNBULL; The Seattle Times
Published: 11/06/1011:05 pm | Updated: 11/07/10 4:06 am


One of only three states where illegal immigrants can still obtain driver’s licenses, Washington is moving to tighten the rules.


While a few in that category might be U.S. citizens and legal residents, most are illegal immigrants.


Washington is tightening its requirements for issuing driver's licenses in an effort to reduce the number of people who get them fraudulently.

Beginning Monday, the state Department of Licensing will require proof of a valid Washington residence address if an applicant doesn't provide a verified Social Security number. The proof documents, such as rental agreements, will be copied and verified by the agency before a permanent license is issued.

Washington, New Mexico and Utah have been states where illegal immigrants could get licenses. An Associated Press analysis earlier this year found that those states have seen a surge in immigrants seeking IDs in recent months, a trend experts attribute to crackdowns on illegal immigration in Arizona and elsewhere.


Carlos Hernandez packed up his family and left Arizona after the state passed its sweeping immigration crackdown. The illegal immigrant's new home in Burien offered something Arizona did not: a driver's license.
Three states – Washington, New Mexico and Utah – allow illegal immigrants to get licenses because their laws do not require proof of citizenship or legal residency. An Associated Press analysis found that those states have seen a surge in immigrants seeking IDs in recent months, a trend experts attribute to crackdowns on illegal immigration in Arizona and elsewhere.

“It’s difficult being undocumented and not having an identification,â€

Great comment at the link...



paulville Today 07:30 AM

Let me get this right: Illegal aliens can get driver licenses if they can prove that they're LOCAL illegal aliens? Ha ha ha ha....

This isn't a state - it's an insane asylum where up is down and down is up, where county workers' pay increases 25% during a four-year period in which the economy suffered the greatest downturn since the Great Depression. It is absolutely no wonder Gregoire and Murray are in charge. If I were insane, I'd vote for them, too.

every state should have this law . Im in NYC & i have to show my ID I have tell them My life History & IM American Citizen so who the hell are if you don't like law go the back home[/b]

I wonder why they didn' do this BEFORE the election.......

Beginning Monday, the state Department of Licensing will require proof of a valid Washington residence address if an applicant doesn't provide a verified Social Security number. The proof documents, such as rental agreements, will be copied and verified by the agency before a permanent license is issued.

Are you kidding me? Do they think illegal aliens live in tents. They all have a "residental" address. If Washington was serious about this, they would insist on showing a certified birth certificate to get a driver's license like we have to do here in Idaho.

The new governor of New Mexico says that they will stop issuing license to illegal aliens when she takes office, leaving only Utah.

Why are states allowed to given driver's licenses to illegals in the first place. In Florida they have made it even harder to renew and people often times have to go and return with things tey did not bring. People were complaining and when the media asked why they changed the system they were told that it was due to 9-11 changes by the federal government. In Florida you now need your driver's licesne, SSN, 2 pieces of mail addressed to you with the same address as the driver's licesne, if you are an legal immigrant with a visa, greencard or are naturalized you need to bring your immigration papers.
The sad part about this that even though they cannot get a driver's license, illegals drive anyways. They caught 6 in Collier County yesterday alone in the Immokalee area which is an agricultural area and one who had over stayed a visa and had his license expire 4 months earlier. Out of 23 arrests 7 were for illegals driving violations and in some cases using fake ID as well. This time they did not find illegal drugs in the car.

Originally Posted by OneNationUnderGod

Licensing officials see the abnormally high declaration rates – 65 percent of all applicants from North Carolina, for example; 58 percent for those coming from Michigan – as a sign that people are obtaining licenses here, then returning to their lives in other states.

Okay, I am in NC, and I have reread this article 5 or 6 times trying to be sure I understand this part of what they are saying. I think they're saying that 65 percent of applicants coming from NC are having to sign a "declaration" that they are now Washington residents. Is that correct? Then, I assume they are returning to NC??

If so, that is amazing to me that so many are going that far from NC to get a license! Yes, NC has cracked down, so if I understand correctly, many from NC are going to Washington just to get a license and then coming back to NC, which I don't like AT ALL. I would love to see actual numbers on this instead of just a percentage. It would be great if NC LEOs would notice how many of their stops have Washington licenses, especially if the license has been issued relatively recently and if the car has NC plates.

It sounds like this new change will make it much more difficult for the out-of-state illegals to get a new license and then go back to their residence. It may mean that even more illegals move permanently to Washington. I feel for you Washingtonians living in a place where most aren't interested in denying licenses to illegals.

Washington is also creating a problem for Idaho. Illegals get a driver's license in Washington, then cross the border and use a friend's address or family member and get social benefits here. They also retain their Washington address and end up getting benefits from there, too. Idaho has been trying to pass a law that you can only get benefits in Idaho with an Idaho license.

Tinybobidaho,

Illegal double dippers!!