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By expanding access to driver licenses, lawmakers can make sure that Wisconsin is a great place to work, drive, and raise a family – for everyone.

Tell our state lawmakers it’s time to make Wisconsin’s roads safer and more accessible for all.

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Restoring access to driver licenses for immigrant Wisconsinites will make our roads safer, strengthen our economy, and keep families together

We all deserve safe roads and the ability to care for and protect our families, and opportunities to thrive economically. By expanding access to driver licenses, lawmakers can make sure that Wisconsin is a great place to work, drive, and raise a family – for everyone.

Why Restore Driver Licenses Access in Wisconsin?

01.

Boost our Economy

Restoring driver licenses access will put more money back into our economy as people with driver licenses are more likely to work and spend money. It will reduce the number of uninsured drivers by at least 28,000 and result in lower insurance premiums for already-insured Wisconsin drivers, at an estimated cost savings of $16 million. And it will bring stability to Wisconsin’s rural economy by allowing immigrant workers in our $43 billion dairy industry to drive to work freely and safely. Analysts estimate that up to 80% of Wisconsin’s dairy workers are immigrants.

03.

Keep Families Together

Immigrant community members who currently can’t get driver licenses are at risk of being stopped for driving without a license, separated from their families, detained, and deported. Everyone in Wisconsin deserves the opportunity to live, work, raise a family, and contribute to their communities. By expanding access to driver licenses, lawmakers can make sure that Wisconsin is a great place to work, drive, and raise a family for everyone. We believe everyone who lives and works in Wisconsin should have the same right to drive safely and free from fear that they are one stop or traffic violation away from being separated from their loved ones.

02.

Improve Public Safety

Restoring driver licenses access will make our roads safer as licensed drivers become more knowledgeable about traffic and road laws. It will allow thousands more motorists to complete driver’s examinations and safety screenings. And it will provide more residents with identification, allowing residents to come forward to work with law enforcement to report crimes, improving public safety for all. According to The Colorado Fiscal Institute, since the state of New Mexico began issuing licenses in 2003, the rate of uninsured vehicles decreased almost 24 percentage points, from 33 percent in 2002 to 9.1 percent in 2011.2 What’s even more impressive is that alcohol-related crashes decreased 32 percent and traffic fatalities fell 23 percent.


You can find a lot more information on the impacts of restoring driver license access on public safety in our state in KIDS FORWARD’s report, Widen the Road: Removing Barriers to Driver License Eligibility Will Improve Safety, Support Families, and Boost Businesses.

Who We Are

  • It’s no secret that it’s been tough on our Wisconsin farmers these days, and it’s going to be even tougher if we have employees who aren’t able to safely show up to work each day – let alone take their kids to school or make a trip to the store. Without passing drivers licenses for all, I can’t promise that I’ll be able to keep our barn doors open for much longer. Widening the roads for everyone keeps farms like mine running.

    Steve Appleby, Dairy Farmer

  • I have always known Wisconsin to be a place that prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of all who call it home. We care about our neighbors and do unto them as we would want for our own family. As Wisconsinites, we have an obligation to ensure that every family and child in our state is able to be safe and have the opportunity to succeed and fully contribute to our communities without fear.

    Sister Mary, Madison

  • We can’t expect our roads to be safe if we’re denying the right to a driver license for everyone who needs to drive to go about their daily lives. My job becomes much easier when everyone has a legal way to drive and is licensed and insured.

    Sheriff Lance, Green Bay

  • I can’t take care of my family without access to a driver’s license. Without a driver’s license, every errand I run and every drive my husband takes to work puts us at risk of being stopped and taken away from our children. I can only support my family and my community if I can drive freely every day.

    Julia, Mother, Oshkosh

Who We Are

  • It’s no secret that it’s been tough on our Wisconsin farmers these days, and it’s going to be even tougher if we have employees who aren’t able to safely show up to work each day – let alone take their kids to school or make a trip to the store. Without passing drivers licenses for all, I can’t promise that I’ll be able to keep our barn doors open for much longer. Widening the roads for everyone keeps farms like mine running.

    Steve Appleby, Dairy Farmer

  • I have always known Wisconsin to be a place that prioritizes the safety and wellbeing of all who call it home. We care about our neighbors and do unto them as we would want for our own family. As Wisconsinites, we have an obligation to ensure that every family and child in our state is able to be safe and have the opportunity to succeed and fully contribute to our communities without fear.

    Sister Mary, Madison

  • We can’t expect our roads to be safe if we’re denying the right to a driver license for everyone who needs to drive to go about their daily lives. My job becomes much easier when everyone has a legal way to drive and is licensed and insured.

    Sheriff Lance, Green Bay

  • I can’t take care of my family without access to a driver’s license. Without a driver’s license, every errand I run and every drive my husband takes to work puts us at risk of being stopped and taken away from our children. I can only support my family and my community if I can drive freely every day.

    Julia, Mother, Oshkosh

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