Unauthorized immigrants may now apply for Minnesota driver's licenses without proof of legal residency

Keren Muñoz waited seven years to get a driver's license in Minnesota, admitting that like other unauthorized immigrants, she had been driving "a la buena de Dios" — at God's will — in the meantime.

The 27-year-old from Mexico was among two dozen people who took a written driver's test last Sunday in Eagan as part of a soft launch for the Driver's License For All law, according to Comunidades Organizando el Poder y Acción Latina (Communities Organizing Latino Power and Action) or COPAL, a Latino advocacy group. Muñoz was one of two in the group who passed the written knowledge exam.

"I feel very happy," Muñoz said. "I am excited to know the magnitude of this. We did it the first day the law was approved."

The Legislature passed Driver's License for All in February, ending a 20-year requirement on Oct. 1 that people must show proof of legal residency before they can apply for a license. The new law has opened the door to an estimated 81,000 immigrants who are living in Minnesota without legal authorization.

Dozens arrived Monday morning at the Minnesota Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) office at the Midtown Global Market in Minneapolis, while others flocked to DVS locations across the state. State officials said it's impossible to know how many of the written tests scheduled Monday were for Driver's License for All applicants.

Emilia Gonzalez Avalos, executive director of Unidos MN, an organization that has led advocacy efforts for Driver's License For All, said the rollout has been going smoothly.

"We see the excitement on the ground," she said. "People are passing their tests."

DVS facilities are typically closed on Sundays, but Unidos MN worked with DVS to open a few facilities in cities such as Plymouth, St. Cloud and Minneapolis.

Applicants arrived Monday at the Midtown DVS office in south Minneapolis with identification documents and instructions explaining the process. Many brought a family member or friend to interpret for them. A few left with a temporary permit after passing the written test; those over 19 who pass the test may legally drive for three months before they must take a road test to get their license.

One woman, who identified herself as Maria and said she was unauthorized until recently, was there with her daughter. She said she had failed her written test earlier that day in Eagan and blamed it on a lack of study. "I just studied overnight," she said in Spanish.

David Perdomo, a COPAL organizer, said there were similar scenes in Rochester where he spent Monday morning outside the DVS office asking people if they needed help. Perdomo said he saw about a dozen people come and go over two hours, none of whom passed the written test.

Muñoz said some people didn't study from the official manual, or were confused when the wording of test questions differed from the wording in study materials. Caesar Sosa, who stopped by the Midtown DVS office Monday to renew his license, said the written test should be simplified for the new applicants because many of them have already been driving and following the law.

Gonzalez Avalos said Unidos staffers encourage people to schedule an appointment only when they feel confident that they've studied enough for the knowledge test. DVS doesn't accept walk-ins, she said.

"Folks were really quick to make an appointment, and then were finding out that the test is not easy," Gonzalez Avalos said. "It's not that simple. They have to do more than reading. They have to practice. They have to figure out hard questions."

The test can also be completed orally at DVS offices in Eagan, downtown St. Paul and Anoka. Applicants requesting an oral test should schedule the exam via email.

The driver's manual provided by the state is available for applicants to study in English, Spanish and Somali. Applicants can bring an interpreter to their test appointment if needed, according to DVS.

In addition, 26 exam stations have computers that can read the test aloud in English, Karen, Russian, Hmong, Somali, Spanish and Vietnamese, and deliver it in American Sign Language.

DVS has updated requirements for translated foreign-language documents brought by applicants, and it now accepts translations from qualified nonprofessional translators as long as they're not blood relatives. The state previously required that documents be translated by a certified translator.

Muñoz said she faced skepticism when she began studying for the test. Some people told her the new law was a scam and that nothing would be given to people who are living in the country illegally, while others disagreed on what to study.

She credited COPAL with passing the written test, for keeping her informed about the process and how to apply. But, she added, it also takes some work; her husband took the test the same day and failed.

"I studied whatever free time I had, a half-hour in the morning and then another in the afternoon," she said.

But for now, she said, she's happy — and has one less thing to worry about while driving with her family, running errands or traveling out of state.

Supporters say these licenses will improve public safety by requiring drivers to pass the tests to get one. The licenses may be used for driving and identification purposes, but they cannot be used to vote or to obtain a Real ID.