Bill would allow seniors to get driver's license without a birth certificate

~ Proponents say the bill would lift hassles for elderly residents who can't find their papers.

Missouri senior citizens and long-time drivers would get a break from rules for showing proof they are in the United States legally under a bill in the final stages of legislative discussion.

Beginning on July 1 of last year, anyone seeking to renew his driver's license needed to take along either a birth certificate or a U.S. passport. That has led to delays for many drivers, especially senior citizens born before Missouri started centralizing the registration of births.

The rules, which have sparked numerous complaints from older drivers, were imposed to make it more difficult for illegal immigrants or terrorists to obtain licenses in the aftermath of the 9-11 attacks.

Lawmakers are listening to the complaints, said Todd Abrajano, communications director for the Missouri House.

"A number of senior citizens have found out how hard it is to satisfy these requirements," Abrajano said. "It is something that has become such a problem that many legislators in Jefferson City have decided to do something about it."

Under the bill residents older than 65 would be allowed to show proof they are in the U.S. legally by presenting their old license when renewing their driving privileges.

The same rule would, under the House version of the bill, apply to anyone who has been a licensed driver in Missouri for 15 years or longer. That provision is not in the Senate version.

The bill is in a conference committee. There, lawmakers will work out differences between versions passed in the Missouri House and Senate.

Missouri has 4.4 million active driver's licenses, with more than 700,000 in the hands of people aged 65 and older, said Maura Browning, spokeswoman for the Missouri Department of Revenue. "We certainly are still having drivers call the department requesting special assistance," Browning said. "We are continuing to work with them on a one-by-one basis."

Despite being in effect for 10 months, many people coming into the Jackson license bureau office aren't aware of the requirement, said Candy Sailer, office manager.

Eliminating the requirement for senior citizens raises questions about why anyone needs to provide the proof, Sailer said. If it is eliminated, "I have to explain why some get by without it and why others have to comply. It would make me do a whole lot more explaining."

And the provision extending the exemption to long-time drivers is a bad idea, Sailer said. "I don't see how that proves you are a U.S. citizen," she said.

There are ways for older drivers who can't obtain birth certificates to show they are legally in the U.S., including the birth certificates of their children, military records, a baptismal record or school records.

The legislation is a way to avoid those hassles, House Speaker Rod Jetton said in his weekly legislative report. "Those who clearly pose no danger will not have to cut through so much red tape just to get their driver's license renewed," he said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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