Undocumented migrants can now get their Colorado Drivers license at a quicker pace
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) -- This Friday, June 9, undocumented migrants will be able to get a driver's license quicker and easier than before. The state is making license services for immigrants available throughout Colorado instead of just the current four locations.
Beginning Friday, people will have access to 36 locations throughout Colorado to get a driver's license. For the last decade, immigrants in Colorado were only able to apply for a driver's license in four places.
This new license service expansion will make it much easier for undocumented migrants in Colorado.
"That created a barrier in terms of people having access to the offices, having to travel to those locations to be able to make an appointment," said Multicultural Marketing and Communications Manager at the Division of Motor Vehicles Leonardo Torréss.
Not only were people limited in where they could go, the DMV said the wait time to provide a driver's license to undocumented migrants would take anywhere from three to five months.
"And now at the tenth anniversary of this law we wanted to expand to all 36 offices by enabling more appointment opportunities," said Torréss.
KRDO spoke to Cristian Solano Cordova, a migrant activist in Colorado, about the new developments.
"Not having an official ID from the state can cause a lot of anxiety and fear in people," said Cordova.
Cordova said the new license service expansion will help his mother get a license faster than before.
"Thankfully we are based out of Denver so there were appointments available close to where she lives, but it's completely changed the way that she operates out in public now," added Cordova.
He's grateful that thousands of other undocumented migrants will feel safer and more secure now too.
“It opens up a lifeline for several folks who may not have had access in the past, especially people in rural areas of Colorado," said Cordova.
Within the last ten years, the DMV has helped provide 250,000 driver's licenses and permits to undocumented people.
To find your nearest DMV location you can head to the official DMV website here.
