Senate bars foreign‑national driver IDs from serving as photo ID for voting

The Alabama Senate on April 17, 2025 approved Senate Bill 158, which amends state driver‑licensing law to prohibit a license issued under the foreign‑national license provisions from being presented or accepted to satisfy voter‑ID requirements under section 17‑9‑30. The bill passed final passage by a vote of 25 ayes to 6 nays.

Senator Barfoot, sponsor of the bill, told colleagues the change is intended to reduce confusion at polling locations when a person who was previously issued a foreign‑national license later naturalizes and may continue to hold the foreign‑national‑designated card until it expires. The amendment clarifies that a license “issued pursuant to this section may not be presented or accepted for purposes of complying with section 17‑9‑30,” the statutory voter‑ID reference in Alabama law.

The statute retains existing definitions and procedures governing issuance, expiration, and renewal of licenses to foreign nationals, including the requirement that such licenses include a designation marking them as issued to a foreign national and that they expire when immigration documentation expires. The bill does not require recent naturalized citizens to obtain a new ID solely to vote; other forms of acceptable identification remain available at polling places and the Secretary of State continues to provide free voter ID options.

Senate staff said the change does not create a state cost, and supporters emphasized the measure clarifies acceptable identification while preserving alternatives for voters. Opponents voiced concerns about any potential for confusion in implementation and urged public outreach to ensure naturalized citizens know which IDs they must present when voting.

Final passage was moved and carried; the bill’s statutory amendment becomes effective June 1, 2025 as stated in the bill text.