We all love our cars and the privileges that come with them. They are part of our everyday lives–they help us get to our jobs, run errands, ferry our kids around, and buy groceries. Driving is essential to being a productive member of a family and community. 

Imagine if you couldn’t drive and couldn’t contribute to your family or community. It would suck, right? You’d have to rely on Uber, which is expensive, or public transit, which isn’t always convenient and doesn’t always take you directly to your work, your kid’s school, or the store. You would be incredibly hamstrung by your lack of options and couldn’t earn any income for your family, show up for work on time as a trustworthy employee, be a reliable parent who can pick your kids up from soccer practice, or swing by the grocery store on the way home to pick up dinner for your family.

That’s the case for thousands of unauthorized immigrants living in Virginia who don’t have the opportunity to earn a driver’s license.

Virginia should be a state that welcomes everyone. To be truly welcoming means to be safe and free. Giving driver’s licenses to all Virginia residents would move the Commonwealth closer to being a state that is welcoming by making our communities and economy stronger. Then, more residents can live normal lives without breaking the law by driving without a license.

Giving Driver’s Licenses to Immigrants Makes Virginia’s Roads Safer

It’s something that makes so much sense, that even Department of Motor Vehicles Commissioner Rick Holcomb supports it. 

Twelve states and the District of Columbia already have programs where unauthorized immigrants can obtain some sort of driver’s license. Extending driving privileges to unauthorized immigrants will require individuals to take driver’s tests and properly register with the Department of Motor Vehicles. Licensed drivers are more likely to understand the rules of the road, more likely to obtain car insurance, and are less likely to flee the scene of an accident. 

More than 300,000 unauthorized people are driving without a license in the Commonwealth. Giving those drivers a legal way to drive is something Virginia can do to ensure safety for every user of the state’s roads. There are two bills in the House and Senate of Virginia that propose a system for giving driver’s licenses to unauthorized immigrants. The House version of the bill is being considered by a House subcommittee soon. Email your Delegate to tell them that granting driver’s licenses to immigrants makes our roads safer and our communities stronger.