Virginia's congress passed a law in 2020 that would allow undocumented residents of the state to apply for a driver's license.
The law passed in late 2020 recently went into effect and will allow undocumented Virginia residents to apply for a driver's license. The Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will provide special driver's licenses to non-citizens who cannot prove legal presence in the United States.
The new law eliminates proof of citizenship or proof of legal residence as one of the documents required to apply for a license.
In this way, the requirements to obtain a special driver's license in Virginia are: Being a non-citizen residing in Virginia; have reported income from Virginia or made tax payments in the state in the last 12 months; and not have suspensions or revoked licenses in other states.
Likewise, the documents required to start the process are the following:
- Two proofs of identity (usually foreign passport and consular registration).
- Two proofs of residence in Virginia, for example, monthly rent receipts, utility bills, among others.
- Personal Taxpayer Identification Number – ITIN
- Tax filing documents in the state of Virginia.
In addition, it is necessary to schedule an appointment in advance through the DMV website: https://www.dmv.virginia.gov/general/#appointments.asp. The procedure has a cost of 50 dollars.
In this way, Virginia is now one of the 16 states that provide driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. In addition, it benefits around 300,000 immigrants in this situation, who will now be able to apply for their permit.
“Many of our undocumented neighbors have worked to keep Virginia running during the pandemic, and giving them the dignity of a state-issued ID sends the message that they are considered and their contributions are valued,” said Rep. Elizabeth Guzmán, who was one of the main promoters of this law in recent years.
