Illegal immigrants living in Connecticut will soon be able to obtain a driver's license under a new program starting Dec. 1.
Under the program, which was approved in 2013, immigrants 16 or older will be able to start applying at noon on Tuesday, and will be required to pass a written driver's test. The program will be fully operational on Jan. 2, 2015.
Eight other states have similar programs, but that number will grow to 10 once Connecticut and California begin issuing licenses in January.
The program is being labeled by Connecticut Governor Dannel Malloy as a "public safety" measure designed to improve highway safety.
"This bill is first and foremost about public safety," said Malloy, as quoted by Fox News. "It's about knowing who is driving on our roads, and doing everything we can to make sure those drivers are safe and that they're operating registered, insured vehicles."
"Our goal is to make this work as easily as possible for our undocumented residents who may have been waiting a long time to obtain this credential, which can open many doors for them," DMV spokesman William Seymour told Mass Live.
Some estimate that as many as 200,000 eligible illegal immigrants live in Connecticut, while others say that only an estimated 65,000 will seek the licenses, however, that number could increase due to President Obama's recent executive action on immigration.
So far the state has spent tens of thousands of tax dollars updating driver's manuals and website pages, as well as hiring and training Department of Motor Vehicle (DMV) employees to better assist Spanish-speaking applicants, Breitbart reported.
Initial estimates put the 2015 cost of the program at around $1.3 million, which will be used to hire the 18 additional DMV workers according to the Hartford Courant. The legislature's nonpartisan fiscal office said that cost would be offset by fees paid by the newly licensed immigrants. The state is expected to collect $1.5 million in fees in 2015, and $2.8 million in 2016.
The licenses will be marked with the words "not for federal identification," according to Seymour, and if immigrants pass the test, they will undergo a three month practice time before the road driving test is given.
Some critics, like Danbury Republican Senator Michael McLachlan, say that it's not the state's job to fix immigration, while others believe giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses is, in a way, rewarding them for breaking the law, according to Breitbart.
