Mary Lou Jay

In most states, illegal immigrants are not eligible for driver's licenses because they cannot provide the proper documentation (like Social Security numbers).

But in Utah, New Mexico and Washington, undocumented immigrants can obtain legal driving privileges. Utah has a special driving privilege card; New Mexico and Washington allow those who can merely show proof of residency to get licenses. But there's some debate about whether the benefits of these more lenient licensing policies outweigh their risks.

Supporters argue that licensing illegal immigrants gives states some control. At least the state will know that they can pass a test on the rules of the road. In addition, the state can put the licensing/driving privilege fees to good use.

This approach also allows these drivers to obtain auto insurance, which they can't do without a driver's license or privilege card. A 2008 study by Utah's Office of the Legislative Auditor General found that nearly as many people with the driving privilege card obtained auto insurance (76 percent) as those with traditional driver's licenses (82 percent).

Opponents, on the other hand, say that the “license everyone” approach is a national security threat and that only those legally in the United States should be licensed. A decade ago, several states issued some form of driver's licenses to undocumented immigrants. But most of them stopped the practice after the passage of the U.S. Real ID Act of 2005. That law has strict documentation requirements for driver's licenses used as identification for air travel, entry into federal buildings or crossings borders. The law's provisions will go into effect across the states in the next few years.

Even as the debate continues, illegal immigrants -- licensed or not -- continue to drive. Unlicensed drivers are responsible for one in five fatal accidents in the United States, according to a 2008 report from the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety.

Unlicensed and uninsured drivers also cost licensed and insured drivers. Drivers involved in accidents with uninsured motorists may end up paying any deductibles out of their own pockets -- and their auto insurance companies often won't go after the unlicensed drivers for those deductibles.

The debate over driver's licenses for illegal immigrants may heat up in 2011. New Mexico's new governor has vowed to make it a priority to revoke the law allowing illegal immigrants to obtain licenses. Meanwhile, in Utah, a state legislator has introduced a bill that would allow immigration enforcement agencies to access the driving privilege databases. Immigration advocates say that such a move would discourage illegal immigrants from applying for the driving privilege card.