Secretary of State endorses license residency law
December 5, 2007
AUGUSTA, Maine—A report to the Legislature says Maine should make state residence a requirement to get a driver's license.

The report presented Wednesday to the Transportation Committee stems from bills last session that proposed a residency requirement. Both were set aside until the issue could be studied further.

Maine Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, who heads the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, endorses the residence recommendation. Dunlap says he hopes it will ease concerns about illegal aliens getting driver's licenses -- but he says it's "not a magic bullet."

While calling for a residency requirement, the report does not address the issue of whether a license applicant must be a legal resident of the United States. State license services Director Robert O'Connell says that's an immigration issue, which is a federal responsibility.

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