DelDOT: Florida ban has no impact on Delaware Driving Privilege Card program

Florida has banned a form of license that legally allows undocumented residents in Delaware, as well as several other states, to drive.

Similar to programs in Connecticut, Hawaii, Rhode Island and Vermont, Delaware’s Driving Privilege Cards are now invalid in Florida, following that state’s enactment of Senate Bill 1718 on July 1. The programs in other states and Delaware allow card holders to petition other states for driving authority.

The cards are issued by the Division of Motor Vehicles for driving purposes only and do not serve as valid forms of identification. They provide undocumented residents driving authority only within the state, and cardholders who wish to drive outside of Delaware are urged to contact that particular state to determine acceptance, according to Department of Transportation spokesman C.R. McLeod.

Therefore, since the cards were intended for use in Delaware only, Florida’s ban will have no impact on the state’s Driving Privilege Card program, Mr. McLeod added.

To receive such a card, undocumented residents are required to contact the State Bureau of Identification to begin the application process. They then must complete fingerprinting and confirm their identification before receiving a receipt number and an appointment date to continue the process at a DMV location.

Those applying for a card must also show proof that they have paid state taxes for the previous two years. This can be done through completion of the Division of Revenue’s certification of filing compliance, which includes the applicant’s name, date of birth, years they filed taxes and either an individual tax identification number or a Social Security number.

After completing these steps, undocumented individuals can then attend their scheduled Driving Privilege Card appointment, to which they are required to bring an original or certified form of their State Bureau of Identification receipt; their certification of filing compliance document; valid proof of name and date of birth; and two documents validating their Delaware residency.

Once these steps are complete, barring a potential vision screening and knowledge exam, applicants will be provided a permit, which they must hold 10 days before conducting a road exam for final certification.

The cards carry a $20 fee and are valid for four years.

Delaware first began providing undocumented residents a path toward driving in June 2015. There are 8,956 active cardholders in the First State, according to the Department of Transportation.

Staff writer Joseph Edelen can be reached at jedelen@iniusa.org. Follow @JoeEdelenDSN on Twitter.