Illinois Passes New Law Allowing Temporary Drivers Licenses for Undocumented Immigrants

Yesterday, Governor Pat Quinn signed Senate Bill 957 into law, a bill that would allow approximately 250,000 undocumented immigrants to get temporary driver's licenses (TVDL's).
Currently, TVDL's are only issues for international visitors who are in the country on a valid visa. The new law, which was signed Sunday January 27th, 2013, would go into effect starting in September.

Proponents of the bill argue the benefits of allowing undocumented immigrants to get licensed include decreasing the number of uninsured drivers and increased safety on the highways, as all drivers will be required to pass a driving safety test and carry insurance.

According to the Illinois Highway Safety Coalition, unlicensed, uninsured drivers are involved in almost 80,000 accidents in Illinois each year, resulting in $660 million in damage.

In order to qualify for a temporary driver’s license, applicants not eligible for a social security number, must have lived in Illinois for more than a year. The TVDL's will not be a valid form of ID for any other purpose except to drive, and will only be valid for three years. The federal REAL ID Act requires that states can issue regular driver’s licenses only to those individuals with lawful immigration status.

The driver’s license cannot be used as official identification and can be revoked if a license-holder is found not carrying insurance.

Illinois law requires all motorists to have insurance and a provision which covers you and your passengers in the event the other driver involved in an accident does not have coverage.