Proposal to let out‑of‑state drivers use existing license for 90 days sparks debate over DMV capacity and tracking
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
Bill 165‑38 would extend from 30 to 90 days the period a person with a valid U.S. jurisdiction driver's license may operate in Guam; supporters said it reflects operational realities and helps newcomers, while opponents warned it could shift congestion and create tracking and safety concerns.
Lawmakers debated bill 165‑38, which would extend the time under which a person holding a valid U.S. driver's license may continue to operate in Guam from 30 days to 90 days.
Supporters said a longer period would align statute with operational realities at the Department of Revenue and Taxation’s Motor Vehicle Office, ease burdens on military families, federal contractors and students, and provide time for appointments and documentation. Committee members said DRT supported the technical change and that similar allowances exist in states such as Texas and Hawaii.
Opponents warned the extension may not reduce long DMV lines and could create an "honor system" open to abuse, complicate recordkeeping for public safety, and delay revenue collection. Senators asked whether the bill would simply push the same workload into a later window without resolving underlying software and staffing problems at DRT. Several senators urged funding and administrative fixes to DMV operations instead of—or in addition to—statutory relief.
At the time the provided transcript ended, lawmakers had not recorded a final disposition on the bill in the session excerpt.