Colorado immigrants who are in the country without authorization or have temporary legal status have been able to get state driver’s licenses and IDs for a decade, but now lawmakers want to e…
In this Aug. 1, 2014 file photo, immigrant and longtime resident in the United States Rosalva Mireles is photographed by Jesus Sanchez of Spanish language newspaper El Commercio, after Mireles was processed for her permanent driver’s license, and received a temporary one to use until it is ready, at a Department of Motor Vehicles office, in Denver.
Since 2014, the Colorado Immigrant Rights Coalition has worked with the Department of Revenue to streamline the process and helped lawmakers pass changes to the program. Agency spokesperson Derek Kuhn said he was unable to comment on pending legislation. Supporters have also cited the benefit of more drivers on the road having insurance, which could help lower premiums for all drivers. The Colorado State Patrol was among the backers of the latest proposal because of its benefits to road safety and because it could help law enforcement more easily identify people.
Between August 2014 and February 2024, the DMV issued 279,914 permits, licenses and state IDs under the program, according to data provided to The Denver Post by the Department of Revenue. In 2022, almost 4.5 million people were licensed in Colorado, records show. “Believe me when I say that something as simple obtain a driver’s license, which an American citizen can do at the age of 16, was such a significant achievement for me — the equivalent of receiving a university degree, but it was also almost as difficult,” she told lawmakers.
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