Filipino groups prepare undocumented drivers for CA driving test

LONG BEACH, Calif. – It’s never too early to get ready to apply for a driver’s license.

As the DMV gears up to set appointments for undocumented immigrants to obtain drivers licenses, Filipino community groups are preparing the beneficiaries of California’s AB60.

“We’ve been doing educational workshops all throughout the fall season,” said Nikole Cababa, of the Filipino Migrant Center, “because we want folks to be best prepared to take both the written test and the behind the wheel test.”

The process of an undocumented Californian getting a drivers license will be similar to legal California residents. They must make an appointment to take the written test to get a learner’s permit, then they eventually a behind the wheel test. The fees are $33.

The major difference is the documents needed to provide identity and where they live.

The list has not yet been finalized by the DMV, but Cababa says it is best to be prepared with some documented most likely to be used.

“That can be documents like their passports for the Philippines or of their consulate card,” said Cababa. “To prove their residency could be something as easy as a lease agreement or proof that you’re a student here in the United States.”

While the tests will not be given until January, appointments to begin the process can be made beginning Monday Nov. 17 by either calling your local DMV office or online at DMV.CA.gov.

With as many as a million applicants expected to begin the AB60 drivers license process, the DMV has also beefed up its workforce.