No licenses for illegals, official says

Illegal immigrants are not eligible for driver's licenses, Michigan's attorney general said in an opinion that affects one of the few states that has been granting licenses to illegal residents.

Atty. Gen. Mike Cox's opinion is legally binding on state agencies and officers unless it is reversed by the courts. It was not immediately known how soon any changes would take place or what the opinion means for illegal immigrants with currently valid licenses.

Michigan law prohibits the secretary of state from issuing a driver's license to a nonresident. Cox, a Republican, said it would be inconsistent with federal law to regard an illegal immigrant as a permanent resident in Michigan. The opinion supersedes a 1995 opinion by former Atty. Gen. Frank Kelley, a Democrat.

Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah and Washington do not require drivers to prove legal status in order to obtain a license.