Janesville police officer Chad Olson, front left, and Terry Stark from the state Division of Motor Vehicles addressed a crowd of mostly Hispanic residents Tuesday at the Janesville YWCA. The meeting was to explain a new state law that prevents undocumented immigrants from getting a driver's license.
Bill Olmsted/Gazette Staff
(Published Wednesday, January 24, 2007 12:23:55 PM CST)
A d v e r t i s e m e n t
By Stacy Vogel Gazette staff
Many people feel nervous when they take their driver exams, but Maria Teresa Colchado Rios will have more reason than most.
"I hope to pass the exam in March," she said in Spanish. "If I don't, there's no other way."
That's because starting April 1, anyone applying for a driver's license in Wisconsin will have to show proof of legal residency. That's something Colchado Rios doesn't have.
The 31-year-old attended a forum Tuesday at the Janesville YWCA that explained the new law. She learned that she can sign up for additional exam times in case she doesn't pass her March 13 test, but she's still worried that she won't get a license in time.
She isn't the only one concerned.
Maria Teresa Colchado Rios hopes to pass her exam March 13. 'If I don't, there's no other way,' she said.
Dan Lassiter/Gazette Staff
More than 30 people attended the forum, conducted in Spanish, to hear about the new requirements.
Terry Stark of the state Division of Motor Vehicles encouraged anyone in the audience without a driver's license to get one before the law takes effect.
"Currently, under Wisconsin law, you can obtain a license even if you don't have a Social Security number," he said.
The law doesn't affect just those applying for their first licenses. Anyone applying for a state identification card or license renewal, replacement or reinstatement will have to prove his or her citizenship or legal residency, Stark said.
Anyone whose license is about to expire should renew it before April 1, he said. A probationary license can be renewed up to three months before it expires, while a regular license can be renewed a year before its expiration date.
Stark said he isn't sure what will happen to drivers who already have licenses but don't have legal status in the United States.
"Some of these things haven't been hammered out," he said.
In Janesville, driving without a license is a traffic offense but not a crime, said Officer Chad Sullivan with the Janesville Police Department. As long as officers can identify the person, he or she will only be given a fine, so immigrants should keep their licenses with them at all times even if they expire, he said.
"We can't prevent anyone from driving a car," Sullivan said. "If they keep paying their fines, as of now, jail is not an option."
However, if a person is cited multiple times for driving without a valid license, the police may revoke his or her driving privileges, said Deputy Chief Steve Kopp. That person would then be cited for driving after revocation if he or she is pulled over again, and could be jailed for multiple offenses.
Belem Gonzalez-Regan, director of the YWCA Hispanic Outreach Program, worried that the new law will cause safety problems for illegal immigrants. She organized the event so people affected by the law could know the facts, she said.
She worries that more people will drive without learning about traffic laws, crowd into cars with legal drivers or avoid going out at all once the new law takes effect.
"I can see people… not going to the doctor because they don't have a car or license," she said.
Still, she hopes some good will come out of the law.
"I would like to see more people taking the bus instead of driving."
About the law
Wisconsin Act 126 requires anyone applying for a driver's license or state ID card after April 1 to show proof of legal status in the United States. Applicants can show a U.S. birth certificate, a Social Security number or immigration documents.
The law also requires the Department of Transportation to cancel a driver's license or ID card if a government agency finds out the owner does not have legal residency in the country.
When it passed the law in March, Wisconsin was one of fewer than 10 states that did not require license applicants to show proof of U.S. residency. The law complies with federal standards that take affect in 2008.
Proponents said the law will keep potential terrorists from obtaining identification and help prevent identity fraud. Critics argued it will make roads less safe because more people will be driving without licenses.
License tips
Terry Stark of the state Division of Motor Vehicles and officer Chad Sullivan of the Janesville Police Department offered these tips to those affected by the new state law requiring applicants for driver's licenses to show proof of U.S. residency:
-- Use extra caution on the roads. If your license is revoked and you don't have proof of residency, you won't be able to get it back after April 1.
-- If you don't already have a license, try to get one before April 1. Until then, you don't need a Social Security number or proof of legal status to get a license.
-- If your license is set to expire soon, renew it early. Probationary licenses can be renewed up to three months in advance, while regular licenses can be renewed one year before their expiration dates.
-- Always keep a photo ID with you, even if it is an expired license. Janesville police will only arrest you for driving without a license if they can't identify you, Sullivan said. Otherwise, they will issue a $186 fine for a first offense. Repeated offenses could result in arrest, Deputy Chief Steve Kopp said.
