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Utah's driver privilege card for undocumented residents is successfully accomplishing what it was intended to do and should not be repealed, as some are suggesting.
Consider a bit of history. Before the law was passed in 2005, some 58,000 undocumented aliens in Utah actually qualified for and had a driver license, with all of the privileges that allowed. In fact, the state's rather lenient law set Utah up as a "pass-through" state where illegals would come to acquire a license.
The driver privilege law has resulted in dramatic changes. Currently 35,000 have been issued. Utah is no longer considered a "pass-through" state for easy ID.
Those who question the current system need to remember that the privilege card allows the state to keep a data base of those who apply. To get one, a person must pass a driver test with minimum English proficiency. It must be renewed annually. Foremost, it provides a means for acquiring insurance and having a vehicle registered and inspected.
The latest state audit revealed that 76% of driver privilege card holders have evidence of automobile insurance. That's almost as many as Utahns with a full-fledged driver license.
In short, the driver privilege card is working exceptionally well. It would be folly to abandon it now.
