Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025
Can immigrants without legal status get driver’s licenses in Arizona?
Arizona driver’s license applicants must provide documentation proving they have legal status in the U.S., such as an Employment Authorization Card or permanent resident card, according to the state Department of Transportation.
Eligible noncitizens include immigrants granted temporary protection from deportation under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, green card holders, refugees, asylum seekers and certain visa holders.
Nineteen other states and Washington, D.C., allow unauthorized immigrants to obtain licenses with proof of identity and state residency.
This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
Sources
- Foreign Applicants, Arizona Department of Transportation
- Arizona Data, Higher Ed Immigration Portal
- States Offering Driver’s Licenses to Immigrants, National Conference of State Legislatures,
- What Is The Process For DACA Recipients To Obtain A Driver’s License Or State ID in Arizona?, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services
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Fact briefs are bite-sized, well-sourced explanations that offer clear "yes" or "no" answers to questions, confusions, and unsupported claims circulating online. They rely on publicly available data and documents, often from the original source. Fact briefs are written and published by Gigafact contributor publications.
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The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting is the state’s only independent, nonpartisan and collaborative nonprofit newsroom dedicated to statewide, data-driven investigative reporting. AZCIR's mission is to hold powerful people and institutions accountable by exposing injustice and systemic inequities through investigative journalism.
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