Oregon to Introduce Limited-Term Licenses in 2010

Driver license, ID card expiration date to be based on length of stay in U.S.

Oregon DMV administrator Tom McClellan Courtesy: Oregon.gov

(SALEM, Ore.) - Starting in January 2010, Oregon will begin to issue limited-term driver licenses, instruction permits and identification cards to applicants who are lawfully in the United States under any type of temporary stay. The expiration date for these limited-term cards will be based on the cardholder’s authorized length of stay in the U.S. If an applicant’s authorized length of stay is indefinite, Oregon will issue cards valid for one year at a time. Oregon began requiring that applicants for driving privileges or ID cards provide proof of lawful presence under a state law that took effect in July 2008. The same law required Oregon DMV to provide limited-term cards based on an applicant’s length of stay in the U.S. Typical examples of temporary stays in the country are people on a student or employment visa. “It’s important to note that when a limited-term card expires, that does not mean the person is in the country illegally,” DMV Administrator Tom McClellan said. “They may be in the process of renewing a visa. Likewise, a driver license is not proof of lawful presence in the U.S. because a person’s immigration status could change even before the limited-term card expires.” Limited-term cards grant the same privileges as regular Oregon driver licenses, permits and ID cards. Applicants must meet the same requirements of regular cards – proof of age, identity, Oregon residence address and lawful presence in the U.S.; passage of tests; and payment of fees. The cards have the same security features and appearance as other Oregon cards except they contain the words “limited term.” “As identification for banking, shopping and other activities that require ID, limited-term cards are just as valid as existing Oregon driver licenses and ID cards,” McClellan said. “The only difference is that they must be renewed more frequently than the typical eight years.” For more information about Oregon requirements for driving privileges and ID cards, visit OregonDMV.com.