The Illinois House recently passed a bill that will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses (TVDLs).
The bill passed the house on January 8th. It now goes to Governor Quinn to sign into law (the governor is expected to sign the bill). This will make Illinois the fourth state in America to pass such legislation.
The new Temporary Visitor Driver’s Licenses will become available later this year, ten months after Governor Quinn signs it into law. This law will allow individuals who cannot prove their immigration status to receive a special driving license for use in Illinois. This special license will not be valid for many of the normal purposes of a driver’s license. It cannot be used as legal identification, so it cannot be used to do any of the following:
- purchase a gun or ammunition
- apply to vote
- board an airplane
- enter a federal building
The driving requirements for these licenses will be the same as for any normal driver’s license. The applicants will have to pass a written test and a driving test. The licenses are designed to ensure that anyone driving has been properly vetted for their competence as a driver, no matter their immigration status. Hopefully this will make our streets safer to travel on.
Related Sources:
icirr.org, HTQ72YRWWDB8
Illinois Criminal & Civil Defense Blog 