Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • topics
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Race and Equity
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Eclectic
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight With Vicki Gonzalez
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

California DMV Prepares For Undocumented Residents Applying For Licenses

By Nathan Rott | NPR
Tuesday, December 23, 2014

Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.

People celebrate after California Gov. Jerry Brown signed bill AB60 on Oct. 3, 2013, in Los Angeles. Also known as the Safe and Responsible Driver Act, it allows undocumented immigrants to apply for state driver's licenses.

Kevork Djansezian / Getty Images

California residents who are living without documentation soon will be eligible to apply for driver's licenses, thanks to a new law that takes effect in the new year.

The state's Department of Motor Vehicles is expecting 1.6 million immigrants to apply in the first few years, and law enforcement, community groups and others are preparing for the surge.

In central Los Angeles, about 150 parishioners recently packed into Holy Spirit Catholic Church, not for a mass but for a training session. Presenter after presenter explained the new law, called AB60, which goes into effect on Jan. 1.

"We know that the city of LA has a big immigrant population that doesn't have a driver's license, and they're driving in the city of LA," Juan Gonzalez, a lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department, told the crowd.

They're driving all over the state — in California's cities, in rural areas, commuting to work and school or just traveling. Like most people do — only in the shadows.

"And we know that a lot of the accidents that get caused — we have a lot of hit-and-runs because of the fear, because they don't have driver's licenses," Gonzalez says.

That can leave a legal driver — someone with a license — in a bind, or turn a small incident for the immigrant, driving illegally, into a misdemeanor or felony. That leads to arrests, impounded cars and just generally bad blood between cops and immigrant drivers.

"So it's actually better for the police department for most of our drivers to be licensed and know how to drive," he says.

California isn't the first state to have this kind of law — Connecticut is implementing a similar one now, and a handful of other states already allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver's licenses or card equivalents — but it's certainly the biggest. The expectation of 1.6 million new applicants has spurred the state's DMV to add 800 employees to help with the transition.

Community groups and churches like Holy Spirit are helping in their own way, preparing people for the written tests and walking them through the needed documentation.

Father Aloysius Ezeonyeka, also known as Father Al, is an immigrant himself; he knows how important it was to him to get his driver's license.

"You have no idea how many years a lot of those people have been living in darkness of the law, hoping that nobody catches them," he says.

Churchgoer Marta Quinto knows that well.

"You always afraid to be stopped by the police. Then they can take your car," she says. "So, I'm excited by this opportunity that we have."

And Quinto plans to take full advantage: She's been to every training session, and is studying in Spanish and in English. And she already has set a date to take the exam — Jan. 2, a day after the new law goes into effect. Quinto hopes that soon after, she'll be able to drive her two kids legally for the first time.

Copyright 2022 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

View this story on npr.org
Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Sign up for ReCap and never miss the top stories

Delivered to your inbox every Friday.

 

Check out a sample ReCap newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

Thank you for signing up for the ReCap newsletter! We'll send you an email each Friday with the top stories from CapRadio.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

A California man’s ‘painful and terrifying’ road to a monkeypox diagnosis

Northern California wildfires: Where to find updates on air quality, evacuations, and official information

Abortion is still legal in California. Here are answers to questions about access in the state.

New variants, wastewater data, long COVID: What Sacramento region experts are watching

California coronavirus updates: How many animal species have been infected with COVID-19? Scientists are still trying to find out.

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Careers & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2022, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.