AB 1151 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Driver's licenses: identification cards.

Summary

Existing law authorizes the Department of Motor Vehicles to issue an identification card to any person attesting to the true full name, correct age, and other identifying data as certified by the applicant for the identification card. Existing law provides for the issuance of senior citizen identification cards for any person 62 years of age or older free of charge. This bill would require the department to amend any forms used for the cancellation or surrender of a driver's license to allow a person 62 years of age or older to apply for an identification card using the same form. The bill would require the department to issue an identification card bearing the notation "Senior Citizen" to the applicant upon receipt of this amended form.

Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 20, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

02/20/25 - Introduced → 03/24/25 - Amended Assembly · 4 edits · Mar 24, 2025

MODERATE

The amended version of AB 1151 adds a substantial new provision requiring the DMV to modify its driver's license cancellation and surrender forms so that people age 62 or older can apply for a Senior Citizen identification card on the same form they use to give up their license. The bill also rewrites Vehicle Code Section 13000 in full, adding rules about Real ID cards, fingerprint requirements, and preventing duplicate applications. This matters because it removes a procedural barrier for older drivers who want to transition from a driver's license to a non-driver ID card.

Scope change

The bill expanded from a purely aspirational statement of legislative intent about driver's license renewals to include binding operational requirements for DMV regarding ID card forms and Senior Citizen ID issuance for people 62 and older.

REQUIREMENT

DMV must amend any forms used for cancellation or surrender of a driver's license to allow a person 62 or older to apply for an identification card using the same form, and must issue a 'Senior Citizen' ID card upon receipt of that amended form.

DEFINITION

New full text of Vehicle Code Section 13000 was added, establishing rules for ID card issuance including: prohibition on issuing a Real ID card to someone who already holds a Real ID driver's license, fingerprint verification before issuance, and a rule that a person 62+ may apply under either the general ID provision or the Senior Citizen provision but not both.

SCOPE

The bill's scope expanded from a simple statement of legislative intent regarding driver's license renewals to also include concrete operational requirements for DMV forms and ID card issuance procedures for seniors.

FISCAL

Fiscal committee review designation changed from 'no' to 'yes,' indicating the amendment triggered fiscal analysis, likely due to the new form-amendment and card-issuance obligations imposed on DMV.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Feb 2, 2026

Lower · Passed

From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.

lower

May 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

In committee: Held under submission.

lower

May 14, 2025

Committee

In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.

lower

Apr 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. with recommendation: To Consent Calendar. (Ayes 15. Noes 0.) (April 21). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

lower

Mar 25, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to Com. on TRANS.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Introduced

From committee chair, with author's amendments: Amend, and re-refer to Com. on TRANS. Read second time and amended.

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Committee

Referred to Com. on TRANS.

lower

Feb 21, 2025

Lower · Passed

From printer. May be heard in committee March 23.

lower

1 primary · 0 co-sponsors