Kansas Insures Foreign-Licensed Drivers
If you hold a foreign driver's license, you may want to consider moving to Kansas. Why? Because at least two auto insurance companies in the Sunflower State are insuring drivers who don't have American or Canadian licenses. Proponents of the practice point out that state law does not prohibit this, and that doing so ensures that all drivers are protected when accidents occur.
Farmer's Insurance Group has been insuring foreign-licensed drivers for about a year, and, says office manager Claudia Villatoro, "It's helping people. Every time they have an accident, they're covered." Villatoro says the legal status (immigration status) of the client is not an issue.
State Farm is also insuring drivers with valid foreign licenses, but requires that they obtain an American or Canadian drivers license within a year, or face the possibility of non-renewal, according to Tamara O'Connor, a public affairs supervisor for the company.
While it would seem obvious that insured drivers make the streets safer, critics of these policies, such as the Minuteman Civil Defense Corps, maintain that insuring foreign drivers threatens national security.
"How can they ensure the public safety?" asks Chris Simcox, the group's president. He's concerned that insurance companies are not running background checks to find out if these drivers have criminal records in other countries.
Luis Figueroa, a legislative staff attorney for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund, thinks Simcox's fears are unfounded, because insurance companies are in the best position to analyze risk.
"We think this is definitely a positive sign, although we do think the Legislature needs to encourage people getting state driver's licenses," Figueroa said. He added that the driver's license application program in Kansas requires regular testing of people's road knowledge and driving skills.
Neither the Kansas Department of Revenue, which oversees vehicle registrations, nor the Kansas Insurance Department, has any policy that would prevent drivers with foreign licenses from obtaining auto insurance, but a 2007 state law requires that all driver's license applicants must have either a verified Social Security number or another verifiable government ID, such as a birth certificate or visa.
Ms. Villatoro stresses that companies issuing insurance to foreign drivers are offering a reasonable solution. "I think it's better for them to be insured than not," she said. "It affects other people."
State Farm agrees, stating via email to the press, "Although we recognize the immigration and national security concerns surrounding this issue, we do not believe it is appropriate that we take positions on issues that are outside our areas of expertise."
The number of Kansas vehicles that are insured with foreign driver's licenses is unclear.
