Thread: N.C. bill requires Social Security number for driver's licen

N.C. bill requires Social Security number for driver's license

MIKE BAKER
Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. - North Carolina residents would have to provide a Social Security number to get a driver's license under a bill adopted by the General Assembly on Wednesday.

Lawmakers placed the provision in a 61-page "technical corrections" bill first filed in 2005. That measure, which re-emerged Wednesday night, has a section that changes the state's license law to mandate that the Division of Motor Vehicles cannot issue a driver's license unless the applicant provides a valid Social Security number.

"This is an important improvement," said Senate Minority Leader Phil Berger, R-Rockingham. "But I still wonder about all the licenses that have already been issued to this point."

Berger is among those concerned that North Carolina's driver's license is popular among undocumented workers. Anyone without a Social Security number can still get a license as long as they provide a taxpayer ID number.

The only exemption to the proposed change would be if a person is present in the United States on a valid visa issued by the Department of Homeland Security.

While William Gheen, president of the Americans for Legal Immigration PAC, said the provision was "a step in the right direction," he still had some questions about the license process.

"We're not talking about undocumented aliens - they've got lots of documents," Gheen said. "The Social Security numbers have to be verified or it will not stop illegal aliens from getting driver's licenses."

Calls placed to Latino advocacy group El Pueblo on Wednesday night were not immediately returned.

While the measure won overwhelming support in both chambers, Rep. Paul Luebke raised some questions about how the bill would affect some of the state's guest workers, who were invited by businesses.

"We have thousands of people who do not have social security cards and are working in this state," said Luebke, D-Durham. "These people still have to go to work and drive."

The legislation, which has more than 100 sections and first passed the House in 2005, got new life in June when the Senate passed it and sent the measure to a small conference committee to work out the differences. Conferees adopted the final proposal Wednesday and immediately brought it before both chambers for passage.

"We're supposed to have rules, but they're never complied with," said Sen. Hugh Webster, R-Alamance. "You can't vote on something when you have to guess what's in it."

The Legislature also approved late Wednesday on a new driver's license change in which all applicants would start getting their permanent licenses by mail, rather than at local DMV offices.

The bill would eliminate the need for all DMV offices to be equipped with card-making machines. Instead, licenses and permits would be generated at a centralized location.

DMV offices would issue a temporary driving certificate good for 20 days and not usable as an identification card. The period would give officials a chance to determine whether a motorist is trying to generate a false identification or steal someone else's identity, said Wayne Hurder, the head of DMV's driver licensing section.

"It will help ... give us that time to research your record to meet all of our standards to meet residency requirements," Hurder said before the bill passed the Senate by a vote of 48-0. The House followed with its own unanimous approval.

The measure would also allow drivers between the ages of 18 and 53 to renew their licenses for eight-year terms, up from the current five.

But removed from the bill was a measure that would have allowed motorists to renew their licenses on the Internet.

The House earlier defeated a Senate measure that would have allowed motorists with a permanently revoked license to ask a judge to give them limited driving privileges to go to work or the grocery store.

The measure narrowly received initial approval Tuesday, but it was defeated 64-44 on Wednesday night after more complaints that it would treat those with permanently revoked licenses better than people who have temporarily lost their privileges for relatively minor offenses.

http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/mld/my ... 130173.htm

If we can assure this is applied well, this is a huge victory for us that has taken years of work and pressure.

W

W.,

That sounds like some of the things we have been doing for a while. NC really needed that!

"But I still wonder about all the licenses that have already been issued to this point."

When the system is up and running, bring them up for early renewal!!!

Dixie

The measure narrowly received initial approval Tuesday, but it was defeated 64-44 on Wednesday night after more complaints that it would treat those with permanently revoked licenses better than people who have temporarily lost their privileges for relatively minor offenses.

Was it defeated?

While the measure won overwhelming support in both chambers, Rep. Paul Luebke raised some questions about how the bill would affect some of the state's guest workers, who were invited by businesses.

Guest workers? Invited by businesses? So what, businesses now determine who can come into our country, not Homeland Security? I know that's been the defacto reality, but now our elected representatives are Ok with that?

I may be wrong William, but it really doesn't sound like it is going to be any different.........the Social Security cards they have are about all legal cards, because they steal our numbers and use them.....businesses inviting them.............hmmmm
What's the difference now and when that law goes into effect?
What needs to be shown is their LEGAL PAPERS showing they are here LEGALLY......not a bunch of stolen numbers. That isn't going to solve anything.
And what's going to happen to an illegal that is stopped by a cop or involved in a wreck that will have no legal license? Are they going to be locked up and deported deep within Mexico? or just let go like they have been doing so far?

added to homepage

http://www.alipac.us/modules.php?name=N ... e&sid=1389

Even if this passes, it's not fail proof. Illegals that steal SS numbers can still get a license and that is unacceptable. How can we make sure this is fraud proof?

While the measure won overwhelming support in both chambers, Rep. Paul Luebke raised some questions about how the bill would affect some of the state's guest workers, who were invited by businesses.

So your saying Mr Rep that businesses dictate who comes into this country and not the US government? Is that what your saying?

The measure narrowly received initial approval Tuesday, but it was defeated 64-44 on Wednesday night after more complaints that it would treat those with permanently revoked licenses better than people who have temporarily lost their privileges for relatively minor offenses.

That makes absolutely no sense at all. The only people that shouldn't have SS numbers are non citizens. Sounds like another lame excuse to protect illegals yet again.

yes it does dman........doesn't sound like anything is going to be solved here yet. The illegals are getting away with murder here in NC literally and our State Government only encourages it

The Social Security number required fixes the holes in the system from the acceptance of a taxpayer ID number and the Matricula Consular.

The only way this system will work is if the the SS numbers are verified against the SAVE database to check them for authenticity and name match. We are not sure if that will be in place yet or not.

W