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Contention Over How Immigrants Apply For Driver's Cards In Nevada

Contention Over How Immigrants Apply For Driver's Cards In Nevada
Fronteras Desk
Contention Over How Immigrants Apply For Driver's Cards In Nevada

LAS VEGAS - Nevada is one of several states to recently pass a law that will authorize undocumented immigrants to drive. The most contentious issue at a public hearing Wednesday remains whether or not people should be required to pay for the translation of application documents.

Nevada's law requires applicants to use a translator when necessary. Whether or not the person has to be a third-party, certified translator is controversial.

Nevada's Department of Motor Vehicles has proposed that people will choose from a list of translators approved by the DMV. State Assemblywoman Lucy Flores is one of the sponsors of the bill. She says this regulation places an extra burden on applicants.

"We just don't want to create a situation where because a birth certificate or a simple document has to be translated that you're then adding potentially hundreds of dollars to the cost of getting a driver authorization card in Nevada," Flores said.

DMV spokesperson Kevin Malone said the agency cannot regulate what translators charge, but this way people can shop around using the DMV's approved list.

Representatives of the Nevada Interpreters and Translators Association say the best way to avoid errors in translation and the use of fraudulent documents is for people to work with a certified Court Interpreter.

Malone said the DMV took into account concerns from the first public workshop in August to come up with the current regulations. He said this is a middle ground between not enforcing any restrictions on translation and requiring applicants to use a certain type of translator.

He said the DMV will decide on any revisions in the next few days.

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Kate Sheehy