Access to Driver's Licenses

All over the country, millions of hard-working immigrants need to be able to drive to get to work, to take their children to school, to buy groceries and to access medical care.  For some, driving is their job.  Debates about immigration policy and national security concerns have drawn attention to the immigrant driver’s license requirements of the various state Departments of Motor Vehicles.   This section focuses on campaigns to ensure immigrants' right to driver's licenses.

NELP work supporting the NY Coalition for Immigrants' Rights to Drivers' Licenses

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is presently pursuing a policy that would suspend the licenses of hundreds of thousands of immigrants throughout the state and that would prevent many immigrants from obtaining licenses in the future.   NELP has been working with community, labor, religious and immigrant advocacy groups throughout the state to push back this policy which far exceeds the DMV’s legal mandate.   

Access for All Communities: NY Driver's Licenses Report. (February 2006)

NELP has worked with the groups to develop a proposed policy for the NY DMV. 

Testimony on the use of the Social Security number by DMV presented by NELP at hearings convened by the NY State Assembly. (August 2004) 

Power Point presentation on the coalition's position.

Testimony to the NY City Council on the issue. (October 2004).

REAL ID and Access to Driver's Licenses

Testimony to the NY City Council on the problems REAL ID will create for New York and all New Yorkers. (June 2005)