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Illegal Immigrants Warned To Study Hard For Their California Driver's License Written Test

SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS)— Illegal immigrants hoping to obtain their California driver's license come January are being encouraged to study for the written test. The preparation is a warning following Nevada's recent high-failure rates.

In the first few weeks of implementation for Nevada's driver authorization card, 90 percent of illegal immigrants flunked the written test.

"It's particular for immigrant communities, but also beyond. There's actually a high-failure rate for driver's license testing in general that it's actually a difficult test," said Lucia Lin with the Bay Area Policy Immigration Center.

She says people are reminded to study for the test. The Department of Motor Vehicle's (DMV) website has the driver's manual translated into many languages and the test is available in many languages.

Illegal Immigrants Warned To Study Hard For Their California Driver's License Written Test

Armando Botello, a DMV spokesman says they are doing plenty of outreach.

"Making presentations, we're working alongside community groups. We're working with consulates," he said.

In addition, applicants must pass a practical driving test and while the DMV will do their best to make accommodations – there is no guarantee that those administering the driving test will speak a language other than English.

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