Gov. Brian Schweitzer signed a bill Monday that requires the state to electronically verify that foreign nationals have a legal presence in the United States before they can get Montana driver’s licenses or state identification cards.

HB178 was sponsored by state Rep. David Howard, R-Park City.


It requires a legal presence in the United States and does not allow Montaa to accept a driver’s license from another state as proof of that legal presence.

The law will require the applicant to pay a $2 fee for checking the federal Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program, which is similar to but different than the federal E-verify employment verification program.

SAVE is a government initiative designed to help agencies determine an applicant’s immigration status and ensure that only entitled applicants receive public benefits and licenses.

Howard said state employees currently look at foreign nationals’ paper documents with the naked eye or perhaps a magnifying glass. He said identification documents are being fraudulently produced by the thousands in the Southwest. “Some are extremely good,â€