Report: Giving undocumented immigrants access to driver’s licenses would make Wisconsin safer

A report from Kids Forward argued that Wisconsin could improve road safety by expanding access to driver’s licenses for undocumented immigrants. It said the policy could also benefit families, communities, businesses and the broader state economy.

The research maintained that broader eligibility would encourage more drivers to complete testing and obtain insurance. It also connected reliable transportation with the ability to reach work, school, health care and other daily necessities.

A decision at the state level

The report emphasized that Wisconsin lawmakers made the decision to restrict eligibility and therefore had the authority to reconsider it. At the time of publication, the report compared Wisconsin with other states that had adopted alternative license or driving-privilege policies.

The report’s central claim was that licensing more drivers could reduce the number of uninsured motorists and create benefits for people already carrying insurance.

Findings presented in the report

According to the report’s estimates at the time, removing the prohibition could have resulted in:

• Improved family stability. The analysis estimated that 32,000 Wisconsin residents could gain licenses, including 12,000 residents living with children who were U.S. citizens.
• More workers able to reach suitable jobs. It estimated that about 22,000 workers could obtain licenses, including workers in manufacturing, leisure and hospitality.
• Fewer uninsured drivers. The report projected a reduction of approximately 28,000 uninsured drivers, lowering the estimated uninsured share from 14.3% to 13.6%.
• Lower insurance costs. Based on its assumptions about uninsured-motorist claims, the report projected $16 million in premium savings for people who already had insurance.

Those numbers were projections rather than observed outcomes. They relied on the report’s data and methodology at the time and have not been presented here as updated estimates.

Safety, mobility and accountability

The policy case combined several related ideas: people seeking a license would need to demonstrate driving knowledge and skills; more licensed motorists could obtain insurance; and families would have more dependable access to employment and essential services.

The debate also involved questions beyond transportation, including immigration policy, documentation requirements and the relationship between state licensing systems and federal identification rules. Those issues should be evaluated against current Wisconsin law and current agency guidance.