California · Vehicle Code

VEH §12800.7: (a) Upon application for an original, renewal, or duplicate of a driver’s license the department may require the applicant to produce any identification that it determines is necessary in order to ens

Civil

What this law says, in plain English

This statute establishes procedures for driver's license applications, allowing the Department of Motor Vehicles to require identification documents and restricting disclosure of those documents except by subpoena, court order, or specific law enforcement requests for urgent health/safety needs.

Read the full statutory text
(a) Upon application for an original, renewal, or duplicate of a driver’s license the department may require the applicant to produce any identification that it determines is necessary in order to ensure that the name of the applicant stated in the application is their true, full name and that their residence address as set forth in the application is their true residence address. (b) Notwithstanding any other law, any document provided by the applicant to the department for purposes of proving the applicant’s identity, true, full name, California residency, or that the applicant’s presence in the United States is authorized under federal law, is not a public record and shall not be disclosed by the department except in response to a subpoena for individual records in a criminal proceeding or a court order, or in response to a law enforcement request to address an urgent health or safety need if the law enforcement agency certifies in writing the specific circumstances that do not permit authorities time to obtain a court order. Immigration enforcement, as defined in Section 7284.4 of the Government Code, does not constitute an urgent health and safety need for purposes of this subdivision.

Verify at the official source: California legislative text

Facing this? Know exactly what happens next.

MOFRD turns this code section into your situation: the deadlines that apply to you, the forms your county uses, and the resolution paths people in your position actually take. Free for 3 days — no card required.

This page is legal information, not legal advice. Code text is sourced from official publications and may lag amendments — always confirm at the official source linked above. Plain-English summaries and relationship data are AI-derived and reviewed on an ongoing basis; verify with a licensed attorney before acting.