Division of Motor Vehicles
Advocate’s Information
To Assist
Naturalized & Non-Citizens Applying for a Driver’s License
Delaware Motor Vechicle (DMV) – Main Web Page
Naturalized Citizens and Non-US Citizens
Non-citizen applicants for a Delaware driver’s license and/or identification card (ID) must provide the following materials to the Department of Motor Vehicles:
1) Birth certificate with a certified complete English translation;
2) Two proofs of residency in Delaware that shows current address; and
3) USCIS/DHS current documents and approval forms.
Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) staff issuing a drivers license do not have the authority todetermine the eligibility of a non-citizen applicant. However, the Division must verify the legal status of all non-citizen applicants, prior to issuing a drivers license or an ID card. The USCIS or INS immigration document information will be entered into the Department of Homeland Security’s Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements System, also known as the SAVE System.
If the information is verified, the applicant can receive his or her driver’s license or ID card. The license or ID card will be valid only for the time that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) shows that the applicant has legal presence. For example, if the DHS documents show that the person has an Employment Authorization Document (EAD) valid for one year, the Delaware license or ID will show the same period of validity. If a person receives a new EAD for another year, he or she should renew their Delaware license or ID card by always showing DMV the latest approval documents from the DHS. In the case of a U Visa, the DHS authorization is for four years, so the license or ID should show validity for four years.
On occasion, the Department of Homeland Security has not entered current or accurate information. In those cases, the Division tracks verification on 2 more levels. After the first denial, DMV staff attempts to verify through the US Immigration office and if unsuccessful, they mail copies of the applicant’s documents to the Immigration office. The Division has new information about acceptable documents and the SAVE System on their Website. The Division of Motor Vehicles’ Website is:
