QUESTIONS ABOUT DRIVER LICENSES IN KANSAS AND MISSOURI FOR IMMIGRANTS

We have received a lot of questions lately about how immigrants can obtain driver licenses in the states of Missouri and Kansas.  Specifically, there has been a lot of confusion about rumored “new driver license rules” in the state of Kansas for undocumented immigrants.  Here are a few tips about who can (and who can’t) obtain a driver license in Kansas and Missouri:

• Kansas -The Kansas Revenue Secretary Nick Jordan recently announced that Kansas “no longer plans to require people renewing drivers’ licenses to produce proof that they live in the U.S. legally.” http://www.kansascity.com/2013/09/16/4486265/kansas-wont-require-proof-of-legal.html  The key word to note here is: renewing.  People who are applying for a Kansas driver license for the first time will have to prove legal status in the United States.  But those who are applying to renew a driver license already obtained in the state of Kansas will be able to do so without proving legal status in the United States.  A comprehensive list of who can apply for driver licenses in Kansas- and the documentation required- can be found at: http://www.ksrevenue.org/dmvproof.html.
• Missouri - An interesting tip for immigrants living in Missouri is that persons in removal proceedings are eligible to apply for a Missouri driver license.  In fact, “Persons in Removal or Deportation Proceedings” is a category specifically noted in the Missouri Department of Revenue’s list of immigrants eligible for driver licenses.  Immigrants living in Missouri who are in removal proceedings should bring the following documents when applying for a driver license: (1) Notice to Appear; (2) immigration court future hearing notice (or Employment Authorization Document); and (3) the applicant’s non-expired foreign passport.  A comprehensive list of immigrants who are eligible to obtain driver licenses in Missouri-and the documents they need to provide the DMV- can be found at: http://dor.mo.gov/pdf/idrequirements.pdf.   A final tip: if the applicant needs assistance in     Spanish, many McCrummen Immigration Law Group clients have had success working with a bilingual customer service agent at the Liberty, MO DMV office.

Although we are immigration attorneys and not driver license specialists, we understand how important driver licenses are to our clients and we empathize with the plight of immigrants who are unable to navigate this complicated process on their own.  In extreme circumstances, we communicate with DMV supervisors in Jefferson City and Topeka on behalf of our clients.  Providing our clients with driver license information is just one of the many ways we provide “comprehensive immigration solutions” to the immigrants we represent.  For more information about the services we provide at the McCrummen Immigration Law Group, visit www.kcimmigrationlaw.com.

By: Andrea Comfort Martinez
Associate Attorney
McCrummen Immigration Law Group, LLC