Committee hears bill to let Guam accept foreign driver licenses through negotiated reciprocity agreements

A bill that would let the Department of Revenue and Taxation enter into driver‑license reciprocity agreements with foreign countries drew questions about fraud prevention, scope and rules for returning surrendered foreign licenses.

Senator Tina Rosemary Barnes presented Bill 99‑38 COR on June 11. Barnes said the measure would authorize DRT to “exchange their valid driver's licenses for a Guam license without the need for redundant ... testing,” noting similar programs exist in several U.S. states for licenses issued by Taiwan, Japan and South Korea.

Marie Lizama, director of the Department of Revenue and Taxation, told the committee DRT already administers an existing process under Public Law 27‑48 for certain countries that allows foreign license holders to drive on Guam for up to 30 days, and to register with DRT for a year after…