Drivers now must prove state residency

New Washington drivers must now prove state residency before they can get a driver's license.

Under new policies put in place this week, all first-time drivers, those seeking instruction permits, those applying for ID cards and out-of-state drivers must prove they live in Washington to get a license.

You have always had to be a Washington resident to get a license, but it hasn't always been enforced, said Brad Benfield with the state Department of Licensing.

In the past, he said, people could use passports or other ID that didn't prove residency to get a license.

"We are strengthening our checking process," he said.

The change was driven by cases in which drivers — particularly commercial drivers who aren't in the country legally — would come to Washington to get their driver's licenses because the state doesn't require proof of citizenship. They then would take their licenses back to their home states and exchange them for their state's license.

Benfield said there are seven states that do not require proof of legal residence in the United States to obtain a driver's license.

In March, an illegal immigrant from Ecuador was charged with conspiracy to commit fraud. Officials say he helped more than 300 other Ecuadorians — most of them also illegal immigrants — fraudulently obtain Washington driver's licenses.

Immigration officials arrested Luis Palaguachi-Guaman on Feb. 18 as he tried to board a New York-bound flight at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. Authorities said he was carrying $16,782, a payment journal and 24 envelopes from the Department of Licensing containing driver's licenses in various names.

According to authorities, Ecuadorians from New York state would fly to Seattle. Palaguachi-Guaman would give them with a Washington state address to use on their driver's license application, and they would complete the written and driving test. When the licenses arrived in the mail, Palaguachi-Guaman would pass them on to his clients for $200 to $350, authorities charge.

Under the policy change, acceptable forms of identification are home-utility bills dated within two months of the date of application for a license, home-mortgage information or voter-registration cards.

In 2006, more than 248,000 people applied for first-time driver's licenses, 86,000 received instruction permits and 103,000 obtained ID cards. In addition, 14,000 out-of-state drivers got licenses in Washington.

For information on acceptable documents to prove residency, go to www.dol.wa.gov.

Susan Gilmore: 206-464-2054 or sgilmore@seattletimes.com