SF Chronicle: California begins issuing licenses to those without documentation

By: Melody Gutierrez & Nanette Asimov

Thousands of people living in the country without documentation formed long lines at motor vehicle offices across California to be among the first to apply for driver’s licenses under a law that went into effect Friday.

Rocelio Nicolas of Gilroy showed up at 3:30 a.m. He was first in line at the San Jose license processing center — one of four temporary centers opened by the Department of Motor Vehicles to deal with the surge of applicants.

The doors wouldn’t open for another 4½ hours. So, with the temperature in the 30s, Nicolas and his wife, Venny Velasquez, threw a blanket over themselves and settled in to wait. By 4 a.m., a second applicant arrived. Then came the flood: Hundreds of immigrants living in the state illegally, many driving themselves to the center, joined the line until it wound around the new Driver License Processing Center in San Jose like it was Black Friday.

As of 3 p.m. on Friday, more than 11,000 people statewide had applied for the special driver’s license, said DMV spokeswoman Jessica Gonzalez.

“It’s been really busy,” said Gonzalez, who was at a driver’s license processing center in Stanton (Orange County).

In the next three years, an estimated 1.4 million people lacking other documentation are expected to apply for driver’s licenses under the law. The DMV has extended its hours and opened the processing centers. Gov. Jerry Brown signed AB60 into law in 2013, but its implementation was delayed one year to allow the DMV time to draft rules for how people without immigration documents would prove their identity.

Arguments in favor

Supporters of the law argued that allowing undocumented people to drive legally in the state will improve road safety and increase the number of insured drivers.

As the bill was debated in 2013, undocumented people lined up by the dozens to speak about their fear of driving without a license. Some said police impounded their car at a traffic stop and they could not pay to get it out — or they feared being deported for trying.

On Friday, some applicants expressed relief such difficulties would be a thing of the past. Victor Mesa, 27, of Watsonville (Santa Cruz County) said he had to pay $500 once after being pulled over and cited for driving without a license. Mesa, who picks raspberries, paid the fine and got right back behind the wheel.

“It’s necessary to take the kids to school,” he said while waiting to apply for a license at the San Jose center. “And it’s necessary to go to work.”

Opponents of AB60 questioned whether the state is sending a mixed message by allowing those residing here illegally to drive legally. California joins 10 states that allow undocumented people to drive lawfully. The licenses are not a valid form of federal identification, and contain the words “federal limits apply” to denote the person’s legal status.

Before 1994, anyone could apply for a California driver’s license regardless of immigration status, but that year the state began requiring drivers to show proof of legal residency.

Under AB60, driver’s license applicants no longer have to prove their citizenship status. Motorists who live in the state, but are not in the country legally, can use documents such as a foreign passport and foreign birth certificate to establish their identity.

“Today is a dream come true for so many immigrants,” said the bill’s author, Assemblyman Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville.

California lawmakers have debated whether to grant licenses to undocumented people for years, with proposals dying, being vetoed or getting repealed before implementation. While immigrant advocates resisted efforts to make the AB60 licenses visually different from those given to legal residents — specifically the note that “federal limits apply” — Alejo said groups eventually came together to say even an imperfect bill was better than none.

Refine the law later

“My strategy has always been to get it enacted, and then we can refine it in future years,” Alejo said.

Inside the pop-up license center in San Jose on Friday, cheerful employees welcomed the applicants with smiles and bienvenidos! — Spanish for welcome.

First in line, Nicolas encountered friendly but confused clerks who weren’t entirely sure how to use their computer’s license application program.

“After today, I’ll be really good at this!” said the woman who took Nicolas’ information and gave him his eye exam.

As of Friday, applicants like Nicolas who have gotten a driver’s license in another country can obtain a 60-day permit if they pass a written driving exam. In most cases, a behind-the-wheel test is required at a second appointment. Those who have never had a license can obtain an instructional permit, then get a license at a later date if they pass a written exam and behind-the-wheel test.

On Friday, Nicolas had his photo taken — sonrie! Velasquez admonished him cheerfully, telling him to smile. He then stepped up to a computer to take the written test. For a $33 fee, Nicolas would have three chances to pass or pay again.

Meanwhile, his wife waited. She said she knew there were many people who disapproved of driver’s licenses for people living in the country illegally.

“But they’re here already,” Velasquez said. “And it’s much safer to be licensed. So this is a very good thing. It gives us peace of mind.”

As an unlicensed driver, Nicolas could not be covered under his wife’s auto insurance. So he’s been paying $134 a month for separate coverage for unlicensed drivers. Velasquez said she hoped they could cancel that and save some money.

The minutes ticked slowly by.

Then suddenly Nicolas was back — smiling. The couple hugged and returned to the DMV counter.

“So he gets to drive home now?” Velasquez asked the clerk.

“He does,” she said, and handed Nicolas his legal license to drive.

“Finally,” he said.

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Melody Gutierrez and Nanette Asimov are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. E-mail: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com, nasimov@sfchronicle.com