HB 4195 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to remove citizenship and lawful-presence requirements from the definition of “resident” and from eligibility rules for obtaining a driver’s license or chauffeur’s license. The bill revises the residency definition so that immigration status cannot be considered in determining residency for purposes of the act, and it removes the provision that generally bars non-citizens from being issued a license unless otherwise eligible under section 307. It also updates application and renewal provisions to continue collecting identity and residency information, but without making citizenship or legal presence a blanket prerequisite for licensure.
The bill also makes related changes to records handling, license issuance, and administrative procedures. It preserves and expands various Secretary of State duties regarding identity verification, driving records, commercial driver licensing, voter-registration notices, donor registry information, and license expiration rules, while striking language that ties license duration to legal presence in the United States. The effective date is October 1, 2025, if enacted.
Impact
HB 4195 would amend several sections of the Michigan Vehicle Code, including definitions of “residence address” and “resident,” license eligibility and denial provisions, application requirements, and expiration rules. Its principal legal effect would be to eliminate citizenship or lawful-presence status as a general barrier to obtaining a standard operator’s or chauffeur’s license, while leaving in place other identity, testing, and safety requirements. The bill would also require conforming changes to Secretary of State procedures and related recordkeeping, and it would affect applicants, license holders, and the department’s administration of driver licensing and voter-registration-related notices.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been supported by a substantial minority but not enough to pass the House. On March 20, 2025, it was defeated on House Third Reading by a vote of 39 yeas to 64 nays. The vote suggests the proposal was controversial and did not command majority support, though the recorded yeas indicate meaningful backing for removing immigration-status barriers to licensure.
Contention
The main point of contention is whether Michigan should allow driver’s licenses to be issued without regard to citizenship or legal presence. Supporters of the bill are likely focused on access to lawful driving, public safety, and administrative fairness for residents who can otherwise prove identity and pass licensing requirements. Opponents are likely concerned about immigration-status verification, the relationship between driver licensing and voter-registration processes, and whether the state should issue licenses to individuals who are not legally present in the United States. The bill’s changes to residency definitions, voter-registration notices, and Secretary of State verification authority are the most likely areas of dispute.
Reforms the organizational structure for the Department of Transportation and Development including its duties, powers, and responsibilities of officers and employees (EN INCREASE SD EX See Note)
A bill for an act providing for certain business entities acting under the jurisdiction of the secretary of state by providing for the removal of information from a filing based on a sworn affidavit and administrative dissolution based on the response to interrogatories.(See HF 2678.)