Baltimore Sun

Applicants for new Maryland driver’s licenses would have to prove they are in the U.S. legally under a pair of competing and contentious plans up for votes Monday in the General Assembly.

Both measures would take Maryland off a short list of states that allow illegal immigrants to become licensed drivers and would bring the state into at least partial compliance with “Real ID,” a federal security act passed after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

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The House is considering a two-tiered system that would permit people already licensed to renew without documenting their legal status. Those licenses would be marked “not federally compliant,” and wouldn’t be accepted at airports or to enter federal buildings.

People with proof of U.S. residency – citizens and lawful temporary residents – would receive federally compliant drivers’ licenses.

The House also is attempting to address other technical requirements of the Real ID Act, such as requiring the Motor Vehicle Administration to develop a security plan.

The Senate’s plan makes no exception for undocumented immigrants who already have a Maryland license. Everyone renewing or applying for the first time would need to document lawful presence in the U.S.