Currently, to obtain a driver’s license in Texas, an applicant must provide a social security number (SSN).  If the applicant is not a U.S. citizen and is applying for a driver’s license and/or a state I.D., then the applicant must present a complex and confusing document from the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS).  DPS has proposed amendments that would allow refugees, Canadian-born individuals, and foreign students to apply for a driver’s license and an I.D.  However, many other immigrants would still remain ineligible to apply.

PROMOTE PUBLIC SAFETY!  Due to the complexity of immigration laws, many individuals in Texas cannot obtain a SSN or provide the required INS document.  Because driving in Texas is a necessity, these individuals are forced to drive without a license and without insurance.  The inevitable result has been an increase in untrained and uninsured drivers on Texas’ roads. 

privacy and civil rights concerns!  On October 1999, the federal mandate that required states to collect, verify, and display social security numbers on driver’s licenses by the fall of 2000 was revoked due to citizens’ concerns about the expanded dissemination and misuse of SSNs.  The current requirements conflict with these concerns.

DPS SERVICE COMPROMISED!  INS verification of an individual’s legal immigration status is a complex, time-consuming process. For all DPS offices to effectively comply with the current requirements, every single staff person would need to undergo extensive and continual training to recognize and understand the many documents. This process is time consuming and makes unnecessary use of taxpayer dollars.

ALTERNATIVES EXIST!  Possible alternatives to the SSNs include: the Tax Identification Number; letter from the Social Security Administration; or sworn affidavit under penalty of perjury.   Alternatives to the complex INS document include: a foreign passport (with or without a United States visa); identity card (such as a consular document) issued by the country of origin; a foreign military or military dependent identification card; or a foreign voter registration certificate.  These are easily recognizable and verify the identity of the applicant

LET DPS KNOW THAT allowing Texas’ drivers to obtain driver’s licenses and identification cards promotes civic responsibility and public safety.

For more information, please contact Adriana Cadena, Texas Immigrant and Refugee Coalition, at (512) 459-1700 or Felicia Escobar, National Council of La Raza, at (210) 212-4454, ext. 16.