Yes. Undocumented immigrants can get a driver’s license in California under a program known as AB 60. The law, codified at Vehicle Code Section 12801.9, requires the DMV to issue a license to any California resident who proves identity and residency and passes the standard tests, regardless of immigration status.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12801.9 The license comes with some federal limits and strong state privacy protections, both of which matter before you apply.
What an AB 60 License Does and Doesn’t Do
The Safe and Responsible Drivers Act took effect in January 2015 and has produced well over a million licenses since. An AB 60 license lets you drive legally in California and functions as state identification. It does not change your immigration status, grant work authorization, or make you eligible for federal benefits.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12801.9
You take the same vision test, written knowledge test, and behind-the-wheel driving test as every other applicant. There is no separate, easier track. The only difference is which documents the DMV accepts to establish who you are.
Documents You’ll Need
Identity is the piece that trips up most applicants. The smoothest path is a valid foreign passport from a country the DMV has approved on its list, paired with an electronically verifiable Social Security number. If you can produce both, the primary review goes quickly.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Wizard
Without that combination, the DMV routes you into what it calls a Secondary Review. You’ll need to bring several documents from the DMV’s approved list. Accepted items include a foreign passport even if expired, a consular identification card, a foreign national ID card, a foreign driver’s license with a certified English translation, school records showing your photo or date of birth, and birth or adoption records.2California Department of Motor Vehicles. AB 60 Wizard Bring everything you have. The more supporting pieces you provide, the better your chances.
You also need at least one document proving you live in California. Acceptable options include utility bills (cell phone bills count), a signed rental or lease agreement, tax returns filed with the IRS or the Franchise Tax Board, and bank statements or similar financial records. The address on your proof of residency must match the address you list on your application. If nothing is in your own name, you can use a spouse’s or parent’s document paired with a marriage or birth certificate that traces the family relationship.3Legal Information Institute. California Code of Regulations Title 13 Section 15.01 – Acceptable Proof of California Residency
Applying, Testing, and One Mistake to Avoid
You can start the application online through the DMV before ever setting foot in an office.4California Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply Online for a Driver License or ID Card Book an appointment; walk-in waits can run for hours. The application fee is $37 and is nonrefundable, so gather your documents first.5California Department of Motor Vehicles. Licensing Fees
At the office, the DMV verifies your documents, scans your thumbprint, takes your photo, and gives you a vision test. You take the written knowledge test the same day.6California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Licenses The written test covers California traffic laws and road signs. The official California Driver Handbook is the study material and is published in English, Spanish, Chinese, Armenian, Hindi, Punjabi, Russian, and Vietnamese.7California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s Handbooks – Driving Test Resources After you pass, you get a learner’s permit and can schedule the driving test.
One warning about the application itself. It includes a voter registration section. If you are not a U.S. citizen, do not complete that section. The DMV’s system will register eligible voters who don’t opt out, so you have to affirmatively decline.4California Department of Motor Vehicles. Apply Online for a Driver License or ID Card Registering to vote as a non-citizen is a federal crime. This is the most avoidable serious mistake in the whole process.
What the License Looks Like and Where It Isn’t Accepted
An AB 60 license carries a visible marking. The front reads “Federal Limits Apply,” and the back reads “This card is not acceptable for official federal purposes.”1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12801.9 State and local law enforcement must treat it the same as any other California license.
The federal limitation matters most at airports. Since REAL ID enforcement began on May 7, 2025, TSA accepts only REAL ID-compliant licenses or other federally approved identification at security checkpoints.8Transportation Security Administration. REAL ID An AB 60 license is not compliant, so it will not get you onto a domestic flight. To fly within the United States, you’d need a valid foreign passport or another form of ID from TSA’s list.9Transportation Security Administration. Acceptable Identification at the TSA Checkpoint Avoid presenting the license to enter restricted areas of federal buildings or to identify yourself to federal law enforcement.
Privacy: What Happens to the Information You Give the DMV
This is the part most applicants want to understand before signing anything. California’s protections are layered.
The documents you provide to prove identity or residency are not public records. The DMV cannot disclose them except in response to a subpoena in a criminal case, a court order, or a law enforcement request involving an urgent health or safety situation. The statute expressly states that immigration enforcement does not qualify as an urgent health and safety need. Information the DMV collects under the program is also exempt from California’s public records law.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12801.9
A separate statute, the California Values Act at Government Code Section 7284.6, restricts how state and local police interact with federal immigration authorities. They cannot use state or local resources to investigate, detain, or arrest people for immigration enforcement, cannot inquire into your immigration status, cannot share personal information like your home or work address with immigration agencies, and cannot honor immigration hold requests or transfer you to immigration authorities without a judicial warrant.10California Legislative Information. California Government Code 7284.6
One federal wrinkle is worth knowing. The Driver’s Privacy Protection Act generally bars states from disclosing personal information from motor vehicle records but includes an exception for government agencies performing official functions.11Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 2721 – Prohibition on Release and Use of Certain Personal Information From State Motor Vehicle Records Federal immigration agencies have used that exception to seek information from state DMVs. California has layered state restrictions on top: even where federal law might permit a request, state law bars the DMV from disclosing your application documents for immigration enforcement purposes. These are strong protections, not absolute guarantees. A federal court order could override state restrictions in a specific case.
Discrimination Protections
California law bars discrimination based on holding or presenting an AB 60 license. A business that treats you differently because of it violates the Unruh Civil Rights Act. An employer who does so violates the Fair Employment and Housing Act. Any state or local agency, or a program receiving state funds, that discriminates against an AB 60 holder violates Government Code Section 11135.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12801.9 The license also cannot be used as evidence of your immigration status in any context. An employer who sees an AB 60 license cannot draw immigration inferences from it, though the standard federal I-9 work authorization process still applies and is not overridden by state law.
Insurance, Renewal, and Traffic Stops
California requires every driver to carry liability insurance. The current minimums are $30,000 for injury or death to one person, $60,000 for injury or death to multiple people in one accident, and $15,000 for property damage. You must keep proof of insurance in the vehicle. Driving uninsured is an infraction carrying a fine of $100 to $200 for a first offense and $200 to $500 for a repeat within three years, and a court can order your vehicle impounded.12California Legislative Information. California Vehicle Code 16029
A California driver’s license is valid for five years, expiring on your fifth birthday after the application date. If the identity document you used to apply expires sooner, the DMV issues a limited-term license matching that document’s expiration date.13California Department of Motor Vehicles. Driver’s License or ID Card Online Renewal Renewal requires current identity and residency documents again, so keep your paperwork organized.
On the road, a peace officer cannot detain or arrest you solely on the belief that you are an unlicensed driver unless the officer has reasonable cause to believe the driver is under 16.1California Legislative Information. California Code VEH 12801.9 If you are stopped while driving with a valid AB 60 license, that license carries the same weight as any other California license for the stop.