July 22, 2002

Secretary of State Candice S. Miller said today she supports President Bush’s National Strategy for Homeland Security that proposes tighter standards for issuing driver licenses, noting that Michigan began moving in that direction prior to the September 11th attacks.

“The National Strategy for Homeland Security is a comprehensive plan designed to enhance our protection and reduce our vulnerability to terrorist attacks,” Secretary Miller said today.  “As the President said, we need compatible, mutually supporting state, local and private-sector strategies and that is particularly true in the area of driver licensing.”

Secretary Miller said Michigan reviewed its procedures for issuing driver licenses and implemented significant changes in the identification requirements of both driver license and state ID card applicants in April 2001.

“Michigan was on the leading edge of this issue and following an exhaustive review, we put tough new standards in place to crackdown on people attempting to get a driver license as a way to establish a new identity or commit some other kind of fraud,” Secretary Miller said.

Under those requirements all applicants, including new Michigan residents who have moved from other states, must provide state officials with three pieces of identification, including a primary document such as a government-issued birth certificate.  All foreign language documents submitted with an application must be accompanied by an English translation provided by a translation service.

Also, after consulting other states and the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS), Michigan no longer accepts the I-94 arrival/departure record that is issued at the Port of Entry and completed by the individual, as acceptable identification from an applicant.

Applicants born in foreign countries other than Canada must provide an Alien Registration Receipt Card, a Certificate of U.S. Naturalization or Citizenship, a passport with English translation or an Employment Authorization Document.

Immediately following the September 11th attacks, Secretary Miller called on state lawmakers to enact a legal presence requirement for driver license applicants.

“It is ludicrous and dangerous that we are forced to issue driver licenses and ID cards to illegal aliens,” Secretary Miller said today.  “I will continue to ask state lawmakers to enact a legal presence requirement before a driver license or ID card is issued.”

Secretary Miller also recommended that criminal background checks be required of commercial drivers seeking hazardous material endorsements.  The USA Patriot Act signed into law in October 2001, included a provision for criminal background checks on drivers seeking hazmat endorsements.