As part of an ongoing effort to implement Assembly Bill 60, the California Department of Motor Vehicles is seeking public comment on several potential changes to future application processes, which could include adding foreign documents to the list to prove identity, and clarifying that residency documents must match the address listed on the license application.

“During the past 60 days, the DMV has issued more than 165,000 new driver licenses under AB 60 and we are constantly improving this process,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. “These proposed regulatory changes are designed to further advance the application process.”

Until these proposed changes become finalized by the Office of Administrative Law—which is expected to occur in June 2015—the current application process stays the same, and all driver license applicants will continue to apply under the existing requirements.

DMV currently processes AB 60 applicants according to emergency regulations that went into effect on January 1, 2015. Under state law, the Department must complete the rule making process, and provide the opportunity for public comment on the proposed changes. Some of the key proposed improvements include:

•Accepting California residency documents that are issued by any government within the U.S., not just the federal government;

•Adding consular cards from Colombia and Ecuador, identification cards from Ecuador, and passports from Tonga, Sri Lanka, and Republic of Korea to the list of acceptable foreign documents for proving identity;

•Clarifying that the California residency documents must match the address listed on the driver license application.

The DMV also proposes to eliminate the option of presenting birth certificates in conjunction with various other documents to prove identity without going to secondary review. This change is proposed to reduce need for document translation, simplify the application process and reduce delays. Applicants will continue to be able to use foreign birth certificates to prove identity during the secondary review process.

The 15-day public comment period on these proposed changes begins on Thursday, March 19, 2015, and ends Friday, April 3, 2015, at 5:00 p.m. Comments can be sent to DMV Legal Affairs Division, P.O. Box 932382, Mail Station: C128, Sacramento, CA 94232 or by e-mail to LADRegulations@dmv.ca.gov. The DMV will then submit the proposed AB 60 regulations to the Office of Administrative Law. The DMV anticipates approval by late June 2015.

For more information on AB 60, including sample interactive tests, webcasts, and information about public comment, visit: http://apps.dmv.ca.gov/ab60/index.html.