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Which U.S. states allow undocumented immigrants to apply for any type of driver's license in 2025?
Executive summary
As of the sources in your search set, roughly 19 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico have enacted laws at various times permitting some undocumented immigrants to obtain a state driver’s license or driving privilege card; major trackers like the National Conference of State Legislatures and National Immigration Law Center maintain maps and tables listing those states [1] [2]. Reporting also shows a countervailing trend: some states have passed laws to invalidate or restrict out‑of‑state licenses issued to undocumented people, and enforcement and details vary by state [3] [4].
1. What the national trackers say: a commonly cited “19 states” figure
Multiple compilations repeatedly report that 19 states (plus D.C. and Puerto Rico) allow undocumented immigrants to get some form of driver’s license or driving privilege card; that number appears in the NCSL summary and on aggregations such as Wikipedia and other legal guides [5] [1] [6]. The National Immigration Law Center (NILC) maintains a living table that lists state laws “providing access to driver’s licenses or cards, regardless of immigration status,” showing which statutes were passed, bill numbers and effective dates [2] [7].
2. What “allow” means in practice: varieties of licenses and limits
State policies differ: some states issue a standard license that looks like a typical state ID but carries “FEDERAL LIMITS APPLY” or similar wording; others issue a distinct “driver privilege card” that cannot be used for federal purposes such as boarding flights (this distinction and the REAL ID connection are emphasized by consumer/legal guides and NILC resources) [7] [8]. Available sources do not provide a single uniform list of which exact license type each state issues in 2025; for that, NILC’s table is the central resource to check state‑by‑state statutory language [2].
3. Recent pushback: states restricting recognition of out‑of‑state licenses
While a bloc of states permits in‑state issuance, other states have moved to restrict use of those out‑of‑state licenses within their borders. Reporting documents laws—cited in 2024–2025 coverage—where Florida, Tennessee and Wyoming enacted measures to invalidate or criminalize driving on out‑of‑state licenses issued “exclusively to undocumented immigrants,” and other legislatures debated similar measures [4] [3]. That creates a patchwork where being licensed in one state does not guarantee safe legal driving across state lines [4] [3].
4. Enforcement and real‑world impact are uncertain
The Associated Press reports that while laws banning certain licenses have been enacted, immigrant‑community advocates and attorneys say it’s unclear how often those prohibitions are actually enforced, and in some places advocates were unaware of concrete enforcement instances [3]. Research also finds broader labor‑market and safety effects when states expand licensing—e.g., increased commuting and changes in occupation for affected workers—showing tangible economic impacts beyond legal status debates [9].
5. Why counts change and where to look for authoritative updates
The “19 states” figure is a commonly cited snapshot in multiple sources but is a moving target because legislatures and governors can change law; NILC’s “State Laws Providing Access to Driver’s Licenses or Cards” is presented as an up‑to‑date table and is the best single source in your results for 2025 statutory specifics [2] [7]. The National Conference of State Legislatures also maintains a map and state summaries useful for cross‑checking [5]. Media summaries and aggregators (Newsweek, AP, Wikipedia) repeat the count but focus on political disputes and notable recent bills [4] [3] [1].
6. Competing perspectives and political framing
Advocates (e.g., NILC and civil‑rights groups) argue licensing undocumented residents improves road safety, economic opportunity and community integration [7]. Opponents and some Republican‑led states argue these licenses can mask immigration status and have pushed laws to limit recognition of such licenses across state lines; outlets covering that push emphasize criminal penalties and political motives to address immigration concerns at the state level [4] [3]. Both sides thus frame the same facts—state authority over licensing—as either a public‑safety and rights issue or a matter of immigration control [7] [3].
7. Bottom line and recommended next steps for a definitive 2025 list
Bottom line: your bundled sources indicate approximately 19 states plus D.C./Puerto Rico allow some form of license for undocumented immigrants, but exactly which states and what type of credential varies and is subject to recent legislative change [1] [2]. For a definitive, up‑to‑the‑minute 2025 state list and the precise legal language (who qualifies, card type, whether marked for federal use), consult NILC’s state table [2] and the NCSL map [5].