Since the REAL ID system went online last December, the hardest requirement to meet for those applying is proof of residency. This is especially true for foreigners who occupy jobs that require a valid drivers license at all times.
Most of the commercial drivers in the private sector, be it taxi or bus drivers, or container haulers, are from Samoa.
And since the Office of Motor Vehicles converted to REAL ID drivers licenses, many have not been able to renew their licenses because they cannot provide all the required documents.
According to Deputy Commissioner of Public Safety, Terry Letuli, the proof of residency is the one that most foreign applicants are having difficulty providing.
OMV accepts utility bills that are not of the same type, like a power or phone bill, with the name of the person applying for a drivers license. Also acceptable is a bank statement with the applicant’s name.
The difficulty for many non-US citizens or nationals is that their utility bills are not under their names but rather a relative whom they’re residing with. This is the same hurdle that students applying for drivers licenses for the first time are encountering.
Letuli says DPS is having meetings with attorneys in the Governor’s Office and the Attorney General’s Office to discuss an alternative method for proof of residency for non-US nationals and citizens.
He said most of the commercial drivers are from Samoa and having a valid drivers license is mandatory for their jobs. So they are trying to come up with another way to meet the REAL ID requirements for such applicants.
The requirements for the REAL ID licenses are the same for US citizens and US nationals and aliens.
Other required documents are a passport or old drivers license, a Social Security Card that’s not laminated, a check stub with one’s Social Security Number and name, or a tax statement with the driver’s SSN.
The REAL ID drivers licenses which cost $40 are good for three years for citizens, nationals and permanent residents, but valid for only one year for foreigners who need approval from the Immigration Board every year.
