Texas DMV is closing a ‘loophole’ in vehicle registration, barring some Mexican citizens

The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles will no longer accept foreign identification, such as licenses or passports, without a valid visa. 

The state sent an advisory to car dealerships and vehicle registration service providers on Nov. 19 regarding changes described as effective immediately. 

“When completing a vehicle sale, dealers are required to ensure that all buyers provide valid, unexpired photo identification prior to processing any initial registration or renewal,” according to the letter. 

That means a valid U.S. driver’s license that complies with the new REAL ID standards, a U.S. passport, a U.S. military ID card, IDs issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Department of State. 

Foreign passports will be accepted only if unexpired and include a Department of Homeland Security admission stamp and a current permanent resident card or an unexpired immigrant visa.

On Nov. 3, Republican State Rep. Brian Harrison flagged what he described as a loophole in administration rules. He prompted the state to change its standards to ensure “no vehicle is being registered to any illegal immigrants in Texas.” 

State Rep. Harrison claimed that the Texas DMV explained that immigration law is outside of the scope of their function. 

“This is unacceptable. DMV’s policy of allowing illegals to register vehicles not only incentivizes illegal immigration but also endangers Texas drivers and causes vehicle insurance to skyrocket,” Harrison said on social media. 

The Texas Department of Public Safety has already halted issuing new commercial driver’s licenses to any non-U.S. citizens who are asylees, refugees, or recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. And Texas already requires legal residency for any state-issued licenses. 

In the Rio Grande Valley, this could affect some Mexican citizens without current DHS stamps on their identification when registering or renewing their vehicles. 

For McAllen-based Bridgepoint Insurance Agency LLC, the new rule is expected to take effect on Nov. 24. The change is already available online.