Driver’s license law hits auto dealers : Unable to register, illegal immigrants return vehicles

From the AJC courtesy of GALEO and Jerry…thanks Jerry!

Found in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Written by MARY LOU PICKEL
Posted on 2007-07-16

By MARY LOU PICKEL
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 07/16/07

Jose Genao sells used cars for a living, but lately he’s had to turn away customers from his Smyrna dealership. Genao used to sell about 15 vehicles a week, mostly Ford F-150 or Silverado pickups to a Mexican clientele. Now he sells only two or three.

Half a dozen customers have returned cars because they can’t register them.

“They bring the key and tell me, ‘Jose, I’m leaving,’ ” Genao said.

Genao is feeling the fallout from a new state law, effective July 1, that requires a valid Georgia driver’s license or ID card to register a car in Georgia.

The law is cutting deep into traffic for many auto dealers and tag and title services catering to the state’s growing immigrant community. Illegal immigrants can’t get driver’s licenses because to do so, they must prove they’re in the country legally.

The law also has the potential to cut into sales taxes and county ad valorem tax revenues, though metro area counties say it’s too early to measure that effect.

The bill’s sponsor, Sen. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) said he did not target immigrants.

You can read the rest on Jerry’s site here…

( Note from D.A. – the new requirements for getting a vehicle registration are now closer to the way they do it in…Mexico)