A new law in Colorado is going to make it much easier for one group of residents to obtain their driver’s licenses. The state administration has decided to streamline the license application process with the passing of Senate Bill SB24-182 by the Colorado General Assembly. The new law goes into effect on March 31, 2025.
Colorado is passing a driver’s license law that will see fewer unlicensed motorists on the roads
The new state law is intended to make legal driver’s licenses accessible to more people. The result of this will be fewer drivers getting behind the wheel of a vehicle without a valid license.
One of the reasons that drivers have to go through the licensing process is to educate them about the rules of the road, and even if unlicensed drivers are competent, they won’t be aware of all the information they need to operate a vehicle in the United States lawfully without learning through the licensing and testing procedure.
Immigrants will be able to apply for their driver’s licenses sooner
This is why the State of Colorado, which allows immigrants to obtain their driver’s licenses, has canceled two policies to do with the residency period before applying and applicants’ Social Security number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN).
SB24-182, signed by Colorado Governor Jared Polis in June 2024, dropped the requirement stating that undocumented immigrants had to have lived in the state for at least two years before applying for a driver’s license. The second requirement dropped is that immigrants had to provide an SSN or ITIN when applying to the licensing department.
How do Colorado residents feel about the streamlining of license applications?
Maria Valdez, a driving instructor in Colorado, said this new law will benefit everyone in the state by making the roads safer:
“This is going to be a really, really good thing for Colorado. Many people are already driving without driver’s licenses, so this gives them the opportunity to be able to drive safely and legally. I do understand that there are going to be people who are upset or not sure how they feel about this, but overall, this is going to be such a great thing.”
Alma Baez, an immigrant from Mexico living in Colorado, said she’s pleased about what the changes mean for her lifestyle (translated from Spanish):
“Happy, this situation is beneficial because we’ve been waiting a long time. I feel relieved now that I’ll be able to obtain it.”
What are the specifics of the repealing of previous requirements?
In summary, the bill enforces the following changes to previous requirements:
- Repeals the requirement that the applicant must be a Colorado resident income taxpayer.
- Repeals the requirement that the applicant prove that they have been a resident of the state for the preceding two years.
- Repeals the requirement that the applicant provide an SSN or ITIN.
- Allows an applicant to present a passport, consular identification card, or military identification document from their home country that is either unexpired or expired less than 10 years before the date of the applicant’s driver’s license application.
The new law goes into effect on March 31 and applicants are still required to pass a written exam, a vision test, a driving test, and pay a fee before being issued their license.
Meanwhile, a change in the opposite direction is being implemented in Tennessee involving the language that driver’s license tests have to be taken in.
A former Colorado Representative has criticized the increased access to licenses
Former Colorado Republican Rep. Richard Holtorf, who represented the northeastern part of the state, has slammed the new bill, saying his biggest concern is public safety:
“It’s the public aspect — public safety aspect of allowing all of these people from all over the world to come in and get licenses. With respect to labor, it’ll help these immigrants to get to and from work, and also their families to and from, you know, school and other public services. But the underlying question is, you know, how many folks of that class should be in our country, and how did they get here?”
Despite the criticism, the bill is now law. Soon, many more immigrants will be able to ease their lives with increased mobility by being able to operate their own transport to get themselves or their families around. A different change in the system that’s affecting multiple states involves iPhone users being able to present their driver’s licenses digitally and have them accepted.