Starting January 2015, undocumented workers will have their first opportunity to obtain California driver’s licenses thanks to the passage of Assembly Bill 60. The bill allows driver’s licenses for undocumented workers for the first time since 1993.

California will join the states of Connecticut, Colorado, Maryland, Oregon, New Mexico, Illinois, Washington, Nevada and Utah, along with Washington, D.C. in allowing undocumented workers to legally drive. The bill is a major step for undocumented workers who risk their safety and legal prosecution when driving without a license. However, unlike traditional driver’s licenses for citizens, undocumented workers will receive a license that states “Driving Privileges Only,” meaning that it cannot be used as a form of identification, to obtain employment, board an airplane, open a bank account or receive other public benefits.

Who qualifies for a license?

Under the bill, undocumented workers 16-years and older can receive driver’s licenses if they complete driver’s education and training, and also pass California’s written and driving tests.

How does the process work?

When applying to receive a driver’s license at the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), undocumented workers will submit a document stating that they are unable to obtain a Social Security number and cannot prove that they are legally allowed to live in the United States. Undocumented workers must also provide proof of California residency.

What is the benefit of AB60?

AB 60 has numerous safety benefits. According to the Department of Motor Vehicles, 12 percent of California drivers do not have a valid driver’s license and one in five fatal crashes in the United States involve an unlicensed driver. With about 1.4 million uninsured and unlicensed drivers in California, allowing undocumented persons to obtain licenses through formal driver’s training will create safer roads across California.

In addition, licensed drivers in California are required to have automotive insurance, which will reduce the likelihood that unlicensed drivers will flee the scene of car accidents.

Are there any risks?

There is a possibility that the bill could cause more problems for undocumented workers than it aims to solve. This problem stems from the distinction between driver’s licenses for citizens and those for undocumented workers. While driver’s licenses for undocumented workers states “Driving Privileges Only” on the card, ones for citizens do not. This difference is what critics of the bill called a negative mark against undocumented workers. Because of this mark, police officers that pull over undocumented workers on the road could possibly report the identification of the worker to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to investigate the worker’s legal status.

It is not yet clear how local police agencies and the California Highway Patrol will handle information of driver’s license-carrying undocumented workers and whether they would or would not supply that information to immigration law enforcement agencies.

Check our next posts for more information and the latest developments on California’s new driver’s license law.