Arizona’s Lax Driver-Test Rules Lure Foreigners

September 26, 2011

Arizona has become a magnet for foreigners who find it easier to get a driver’s license than in the states where they live.

It’s a development that’s raising public-safety and national-security concerns.

Arizona has more permissive rules than any other state governing who can get a license, how they can get it and how long the license is valid before it expires.

Hundreds of people come to Arizona from stricter states seeking driving credentials.

The Arizona Republic reports that immigrant-rights advocates say Arizona provides an essential service for people who are in the country legally, often as refugees.

They know how to drive a car but are unable to get a license in their home states because they can’t pass a written test in English and translators aren’t allowed.