A bill before the Legislature aims to enable undocumented immigrants to more easily apply for a Colorado driver’s license. It is a good idea that probably does not go far enough.
House Bill 17-1206 would improve upon a 2013 law that allows driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants.
Colorado’s law-enforcement community generally favors issuing licenses to qualified drivers who are not in the United States legally. License exams ensure that these drivers know the rules of the road, and having a driver’s license helps a vehicle owner obtain insurance, thus protecting fellow drivers.
The bill will not prevent unlicensed individuals from driving, but it will help separate those who try hard to follow the rules from others who do not.
An estimated 120,000 undocumented immigrants currently live in Colorado. It does not make sense to push immigrant drivers underground. The new legislation would not change the 2013 ban on law enforcement use of the licenses for deportation purposes.
The 2013 legislation has problems that have made licenses difficult for immigrants to obtain, even though the licenses are legal. One big issue in Southwest Colorado is that the licenses are available at only three offices: Grand Junction, Colorado Springs and Denver. HB 1206 doesn’t address that problem.
In fact, next year, two of those offices likely will quit issuing licenses to undocumented immigrants, leaving only the Denver office as an option. That presents an almost insurmountable obstacle for many new applicants; too bad the bill does not address it.
The legislation does allow individuals to use a verified Social Security number in the absence of a taxpayer identification card, and standardizes renewal methods – in person, by mail or through electronic means – so requirements for driver’s licenses and state identification cards held by undocumented immigrants match those currently required of other drivers.
HB 1206 will not make licenses any easier for most undocumented immigrants in rural Colorado to obtain. Still, the bill is a small step in the right direction for all drivers on Colorado’s roads, and for those immigrants who need to drive and, despite their status, want to abide by the law.
