Brief Description of CA Driver's License Bill
Culminating a five-year battle to restore access to driver’s licenses for all California residents, SB 60 (Cedillo) passed the Assembly on September 2, 2003, by a vote of 44 to 30 and the Senate on September 3, 2003, by a vote of 23 to 15.
SB 60 eliminates the “lawful presence” requirement and modifies the Social Security Number requirement for California residents who apply for a driver’s license. The law continues to require that driver’s license applicants submit a valid Social Security Number. However, it allows applicants who are not eligible for an SSN to provide an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
All California residents, regardless of immigration status, may be eligible to obtain a driver’s license, provided that they pass the driving and written tests, submit specific documents establishing their identity, and comply with all other licensing requirements.
This year’s bill allows all California residents regardless of immigration status to apply for a license. As under current law, all driver’s license applicants must submit a thumbprint.
This historic moment would not have been possible without the
contributions of many individuals who worked tirelessly to organize the community
and to craft the best driver’s license bill possible. As many of you
know, this year’s victory is due to the statewide coalition of immigrant
rights, labor, faith-based and community based organizations that garnered
support for this bill throughout the state. CHIRLA would like to extend a
big thanks to all of you who contributed to this victory, which will improve
the safety and security of our communities and roads. Finally, we would like
to thank Senator Cedillo for his commitment on this important issue.