House Bill No. 5057, titled "AN ACT STANDARDIZING DRIVE-ONLY LICENSES," seeks to amend the existing general statutes regarding the issuance of motor vehicle operator's licenses, particularly for individuals unable to prove legal presence in the United States. The bill revises the definitions of "primary proof of identity," "secondary proof of identity," and "proof of residency," and outlines the required documentation for these proofs. It mandates that non-English documents be accompanied by certified English translations and disallows photocopies as valid proof of identity. The bill also specifies that individuals with a felony conviction in Connecticut are ineligible for a license, and it clarifies the process for the knowledge test for a class D license. Notably, the bill extends the expiration of these licenses to eight years with a renewal fee of ninety-six dollars and requires proof of residency at renewal. It removes the language that explicitly states the license cannot be used for voting purposes and the "for driving purposes only" restriction, while still prohibiting its use for federal identification and voting.

The bill aims to standardize drive-only licenses by removing certain visual distinctions that set them apart from other noncompliant licenses, ensuring they no longer indicate that they are solely for driving purposes or contain a statement about voting ineligibility on the back. However, the bill maintains the prohibition on using these licenses for federal identification and voting. The validity period of drive-only licenses will be extended to match that of standard noncommercial licenses, increasing the renewal period from three to eight years and raising the fee to ninety-six dollars. This change is projected to increase revenue for the DMV by significant amounts in fiscal years 2025 and 2026, with a potential one-time reprogramming cost for the DMV. The bill includes technical changes and is scheduled to take effect on January 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Governor's Bill: 14-36m
TRA Joint Favorable: 14-36m
File No. 268: 14-36m