On May 2, 2013, Governor Martin O’Malley signed into law Senate Bill 715, known as the Maryland Highway Safety Act. The new law will allow undocumented immigrants, without a social security number, to obtain a driver’s license. Each applicant will have to show proof of residency and take the same driver’s test as every other applicant. In addition, each applicant will have to give proof that the have filed Maryland State Tax Returns for the two years before the application or that they were a dependent on another person’s tax returns for those two years. The law goes into affect on January 1, 2014 and will make it easier for immigrants to obtain licenses so that they can get jobs that were impossible to reach without a car. The bill should also enhance the State tax roles by collecting additional license application fees and allowing immigrants to obtain car insurance for the vehicles they own.
Here is a link to a CASA de Maryland website entry explaining the reasons for the new law:
http://www.casademaryland.org/press-release/2033-casa-de-maryland-celebrates-signing-of-maryland-highway-safety-act
Here is a link to a Newspaper article from the Annapolis CapitalGazzette.com describing the bill:
http://www.capitalgazette.com/news/government/senate-approves-driver-s-licenses-for-illegal-immigrants/article_c8666418-e68e-5154-9e82-a7b3559c6b17.html
Finally, here is a copy of the new law: http://mgaleg.maryland.gov/2013RS/bills/sb/sb0715T.pdf
