HB 991 supporters say the bill will ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens vote and it requires driver licenses to include citizenship status. Critics worry it will disenfranchise eligible voters who are unable to meet the bill’s demands.
Customer Service representative Marlon Suarez, right, monitors the doorway outside of a Miami-Dade County Office of the Tax Collector, May 6, 2025, in Miami. If a new Florida elections bill goes into effect, driver licenses will soon include a new notable fact: whether a person is a U.
S. citizen., approved by Florida’s Legislature and expected to be signed into law by Gov. Ron DeSantis, say the bill will ensure that only eligible U.S. citizens vote. Critics worry it will disenfranchise eligible voters who are unable to meet the bill’s demands. Florida voters will be required to provide photo identification, such as an active U.S. passport or a Florida driver license at the polls before being allowed to vote. It prohibits the use of student and retirement center IDs, which Florida has deemed to be acceptable forms of voting identification since the early 2000s. HB 991 requires that Florida driver licenses and state-issued ID cards indicate people’s citizenship status. The bill would take effect Jan. 1, 2027. The bill is similar to the federally proposed legislation, the. If noncitizens vote, they risk deportation, fines or jail. When people register to vote, they sign a form attesting that they are U.S. citizens.to a January report from the state’s Office of Election Crimes and Security. The office, which said it referred 170 of those people to law enforcement, did not respond to PolitiFact’s questions about how many were confirmed to be noncitizens, or how many have been charged with voter fraud.People would have to show documentary proof of U.S. citizenship to register to vote. It also requires that Florida’s Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and its Department of State match and confirm a person’s citizenship.News of a drivers license marker worries some immigration law experts who say that it could dissuade people from getting or renewing their IDs for fear of being discriminated against for not being citizens. Ahmad Yakzan, an immigration lawyer and founder of the American Dream Law Office, said that, if the bill goes into effect, it could be challenged on grounds that it violates TheFlorida driver licenses and ID cards for noncitizens who are in the country legally but don’t have permanent resident status already have a"temporary" label. But Yakzan argues that if the new cards label people as noncitizens, it might make some prospective employers less likely to hire them and would place additional burdens on noncitizens to prove their work eligibility. These types of voter eligibility measures have historically had a disproportionate impact on people of color and other minorities, said Ediberto Roman, a law professor and immigration and citizenship initiatives director at Florida International University. Roman said the requirement could cause citizens to be intimidated and not show up at the polls, and it may ultimately affect public safety. "If this is perceived as a means to track noncitizens, more and more people may not seek licenses, and that'll have a ripple effect of not having insurance," Roman said."And the insurance crises will, instead of alleviating itself, will be augmented in communities like South Florida."includes green card holders or permanent residents, students with visas, refugees, people with temporary protected status or pending asylum claims, asylees and parolees. Permanent residents can have valid Florida driver licenses for up to eight years, just as U.S. citizens in the state do.a 2025 law that prohibits giving a driver license or ID card to anyone illegally in the U.S. This means that only someone who can show evidence of their lawful status can receive a license or ID card.May 2025 guidance requiring noncitizens to renew their licenses each year, unless they are considered permanent residents. Since February, applicants must take English-only written and oral exams toNo. The legislation mostly focuses on election security and the documentary evidence needed to prove U.S. citizenship when registering and voting. What documents would people need to provide to the Department of Motor Vehicles to prove their U.S. citizenship?A current and valid Florida driver license or Florida ID issued by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, if such license or identification card indicates U.S. citizenship.A naturalization certificate issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.A current and valid photo identification issued by the federal government or the state which indicates U.S. citizenship.In the case that a voter's legal name is different from the name that appears on the documents presented, official legal documentation providing proof of name change is also required to confirm U.S. citizenship.The bill will not require current license holders to reapply in 2027, according to the Miami-Dade Tax Collector’s office. Citizenship status will be added to licenses upon issuance, renewal or replacement. And noncitizens may keep their current licenses until expiration. By July 1, 2027, new driver licenses and ID cards issued to U.S. citizens must include citizenship status, according to the bill. The bill also adds that if a person becomes a citizen, they need to obtain a new ID with their updated status within the 30 days, as required byEmail interview with Ahmad Yakzan an immigration lawyer and founder of the American Dream Law Office, March 16, 2026 Email interview with Ediberto Roman, law professor and immigration and citizenship initiatives director at Florida International University, March 16, 2026El líder de Corea del Norte Kim Jong Un dijo que “ningún Dios podrá proteger a Estados Unidos de nuestras nuevas armas”. "BREAKING: So the Israeli media reports Itamar Ben‑Gvir died in a 'car crash,' while in fact he’s been obliterated by an Iranian missile strike on his home." El Presidente de El Salvador Nayib Bukele dijo, “con las guerras que ha empezado Donald Trump les pido a todos los inmigrantes en Estados Unidos que piensen en salir de ese país”. U.S. men’s hockey Olympian Brady Tkachuk said about the Canadian hockey team, “They booed our national anthem, so I had to come out and teach those maple syrup eating f----s a lesson.” Imagen muestra a Puerto Vallarta, México, después de la muerte de Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, el líder del Cártel Jalisco Nueva Generación. Image shows Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, after the killing of Nemesio “El Mencho” Oseguera Cervantes, the head of Jalisco New Generation Cartel. Savannah Guthrie's husband’s company is listed as a"co conspirator" in the Epstein files, “in case you're wondering why now of all times for mother to be 'kidnapped.'" Protesters against the federal immigration crackdown in Minnesota are conducting “fake protests done by agitators and professional insurrectionists. …They're professional troublemakers.” El líder de Corea del Norte Kim Jong Un dijo que “ningún Dios podrá proteger a Estados Unidos de nuestras nuevas armas”. "BREAKING: So the Israeli media reports Itamar Ben‑Gvir died in a 'car crash,' while in fact he’s been obliterated by an Iranian missile strike on his home." El Presidente de El Salvador Nayib Bukele dijo, “con las guerras que ha empezado Donald Trump les pido a todos los inmigrantes en Estados Unidos que piensen en salir de ese país”.
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