On January 1st a law will go into effect in California that will allow the state’s undocumented residents to obtain driver’s licenses.
On January 1st, a law will go into effect in California that will allow the state’s undocumented residents to obtain driver’s licenses.
Given that about a million and a half individuals are anticipated to apply in the coming years, the state has been busy preparing for the massive increase in volume.
4 new DMV outposts were established and around 900 employees were added to the department’s workforce.
Training has been expansive, as a number of various circumstances will no doubt need to be addressed.
Also anticipated is the need for a wide variety of language skills, so staff is available to advise license-seekers in English, Mandarin, Arabic, Vietnamese, Spanish, and Russian.
Communities are also making sure that people are well informed of the requirements, needed documentation, and processes prior to initiating their requests.
Juan Gonzalez, a lieutenant with the Los Angeles Police Department believes the coming changes will benefit law enforcement as well.
He noted that unlicensed drivers often end up in a lot more trouble that necessary, as operating a vehicle illegally can result in felony charges and having a car impounded.
That, in turn, leads to what he called ‘bad blood between cops and immigrant drivers.’
