UCAR International Visitor & Scholar Services

Foreign Visitors & Possible Delays in Obtaining/Renewing Colorado Driver's Licenses

It has recently come to our attention, that many foreign nationals throughout the state of Colorado have been experiencing long delays when obtaining and renewing their Colorado driver's licenses.

A new system, the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) Program, has recently been implemented by the Federal Government, and the Colorado Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) must verify information in this system before issuing or renewing a license. It seems that there have been delays with the input of immigration information into the SAVE system. Therefore, when there is a lack of information or conflicting information within the SAVE system, the local DMV offices are sending those individuals to the main office in Lakewood for further investigation. Many people who have gone through this process are being told that delays of up to five weeks are to be expected, while the required information is obtained. Some people have reported waiting even longer.

In order to minimize any possible negative impact, we want to inform our foreign visitors that significant delays are possible when obtaining and renewing a Colorado driver's license. We are recommending that those who need to renew a license, consider doing so up to 90 days in advance of the expiration date. This will minimize the possibility of delays that could result in the expiration of a driver's license before an extension is received.

We also recommend that if divisions know of foreign visitors who will need a new visa or an extension of visa status, to start this process early, to further ensure that information in the SAVE system is entered or updated as soon as possible.

Please understand that we have no further information about the SAVE system or the new processes that DMV is required to implement. We only know that significant delays are taking place that have resulted in some people being left without a license for a period of time. Our hope is simply to inform our foreign visitors and programs that this is a possibility, so that when possible, steps can be taken to minimize any adverse impacts on those who need to obtain or renew a Colorado Driver's License.

Return to Table of Contents