Oregon Public Broadcasting

Oregon is easing up slightly on new rules that govern what documents you have to show to get a drivers’ license. Wednesday's action comes after lawmakers say they were flooded with complaints.  Salem correspondent Chris Lehman reports.

In July a new law began requiring that people getting or renewing an Oregon drivers’ license prove they’re in the country legally. 

The Legislature passed the bill as part of an effort to prevent illegal immigrants from getting an Oregon ID.  But the measure had an unexpected consequence:  It made it harder for women who changed their last name when they got married to get a drivers’ license.

Starting next week the state is expanding the list of documents you can use to prove your name, says ODOT’s Jack Evans.

Jack Evans:  “It greatly loosens it up. We expect that about 90 percent of the problems people are seeing are going to go away.”

Evans says more than 5000 people got 90-day licenses because they were unable to immediately prove they qualify for an ID.  

He says there are no plans to scale back the rule that requires proof of legal presence to get a drivers’ license.