Since 2015 the California DMV has issued driver’s licenses to applicants who cannot submit proof of authorized presence in the United States, provided they meet every other licensing requirement and can prove their identity and their California residency. The rule is Vehicle Code section 12801.9. People call the result an AB 60 license, after the bill that created it. What it is, in practice, is a California driver’s license.
The card is printed as a federal non-compliant card, which is why it reads Federal Limits Apply across the front. The DMV’s own REAL ID page calls a REAL ID optional and says a Federal Limits Apply card may still be used as photo identification. For driving, and for insurance, the notation changes nothing: carriers rate a California license, and the wording printed on it is not one of the things they rate.
Two things are worth knowing before you shop. First, you do not need a Social Security number to buy auto insurance here — an ITIN is commonly accepted in its place, and some carriers work from a license number alone. Second, Insurance Code section 1861.02(c) provides that the absence of prior automobile insurance coverage, in and of itself, is not a criterion for eligibility or for your rate. If this is your first policy in the United States, the law does not let that be held against you.
AB 60 licenseMatrícula ConsularITINForeign passportForeign licenseUtility billLease agreementIncome tax returnSchool transcriptProperty deedMarriage certificateForeign electoral card
The liability minimum California sets
| Bodily injury (per person) | $30,000 |
| Bodily injury (per accident) | $60,000 |
| Property damage | $15,000 |
Vehicle Code section 16056, for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025. The same section raises the figures again for policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2035.
