RALEIGH, N.C. — The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is failing to provide some immigrants who are in the country legally with the types of driver’s licenses they are entitled to under the law, according to two organizations that have asked the agency to clarify its policies.
The DMV sometimes fails to grant a license but more frequently issues one for a limited time, rather than the full eight-year term, according to the American Civil Liberties Union and the North Carolina Justice Center. Both practices make it difficult for people to work and care for their families, says Muneeba S. Talukder, an attorney for the ACLU of North Carolina.
“Despite their clear statutory eligibility for full-term driver licenses, North Carolina DMVs have denied driver licenses or improperly provided a limited-term driver license,” Talukder said in a written statement. “We are asking that the DMV issue a declaratory ruling that comports with the law and the U.S. and North Carolina constitutions and provide clear guidance to its staff so that our clients and other immigrant North Carolinians can resume their daily obligations.”
