Have you been to the DMV?

Have you recently applied for a new driver’s license, gone in to renew yours or been for another reason? If you have we would like to hear about your experience. Please take a few minutes to fill out this form so we can make sure your rights have not been violated. 

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The only way to make a change is to call out injustice. If you wear a Turban, a Chunni or any form of head-covering for religious purposes you have the right to wear it in your Driver’s License picture. If a DMV has asked you to sign any form confirming you wear a head covering and that you do not remove it unless under extraordinary circumstance please let us know by either filling out this form or by emailing us at media@saldef.org.  

As always, we’re on the front-lines. We are making sure that our community’s concerns and needs are being addressed. Whether it’s training and recruiting new volunteers, passing legislation to condemn hate crimes, or holding events we exist to serve you.

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SALDEF concerned about the effects of new policy on Sikhs, Muslims, Jews Washington DC – December 9, 2008: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States, has received complaints regarding the State of Indiana’s new driver license photo policy which was implemented today. The new policy incorporates the use of new facial recognition software and involves restrictions on smiling,  head coverings, scarves, glasses, and facial hair. The security software is supposedly designed to protect customers from identity fraud. According to some media reports, the new policy contains an exemption for individuals who wear religious head coverings; however, SALDEF has already received a complaint from a Sikh American in Indiana who was neither advised about the exemption nor provided with any waiver documents. On this ground, SALDEF is deeply concerned about the extent to which the new policy is being implemented properly and the manner in which employees are being trained. SALDEF will investigate this matter and attempt to work with the State of Indiana to ensure that the religious rights of Sikh Americans are protected. In the meantime, we encourage all Sikh Americans in Indiana to report problems to SALDEF via email at legal@saldef.org or by telephone at (202) 393-2700.

SALDEF works with DMV to Retrain Staff on Religious Accommodation
Washington D.C. – March 20, 2008: The California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) recently apologized to Mr. Ramandeep Singh Anand and the Sikh American community after Mr. Anand was initially barred from taking his drivers license photograph while wearing his religiously mandated turban at the West Covina branch of the DMV. “Please convey my apology to Mr. Anand for the unsatisfactory service he received when he was requested to remove his turban for a driver license photograph,” wrote DMV Director George Valverde in a letter to SALDEF. “It is regrettable that the proper procedures were not followed on the day of Mr. Anand’s visit.” Additionally, Mr. Valverde has instructed DMV staff to review cultural and religious accommodation policies including specific references to the Sikh turban. While Mr. Anand was able to take his picture that day, it required an inordinate amount of discussion, explanation and time that some of the most vulnerable within the Sikh community may not have understood how to navigate through. SALDEF is continuing to work with the DMV to ensure long-term protections are implemented. “We thank Mr. Valverde and the California DMV for their prompt attention to this matter,” said SALDEF National Director Rajbir Singh Datta. “Mr. Valverde and the California DMV have demonstrated the utmost sincerity in their apology and a strong willingness to collaborate against potentially discriminatory practices.” California statue requires a full-face photograph which displays the facial features (eyes, nose, and mouth). California residents are not required to remove any headgear that is part of his/her normal identification or worn due to religious beliefs such as the turban. If you believe you have been denied access or been subjected to any form of harassment due to your faith, please report it to SALDEF immediately at 202-393-2700 or via info@saldef.org.

SALDEF continues its campaign to address discriminatory DMV policies against the turban

Washington, D.C.– October 24, 2007: The Sikh American Legal Defense and Education Fund (SALDEF), the nation’s oldest and largest Sikh American civil rights and advocacy organization, received a formal apology from Lorna Youngs, Administrator, Oregon Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for denying a Sikh American woman from obtaining a driver’s license because she wore a turban.

When applying for a driver’s license in Portland, Oregon, Ms. Meherbani Kaur Khalsa was informed that she would have to remove her turban for the license photograph. Ms. Khalsa immediately contacted SALDEF for assistance. SALDEF wrote to Administrator Youngs about the violation of Ms. Khalsa’s right to wear her turban as allowed by Oregon law.

In a written response to SALDEF, Administrator Youngs wrote, “I would like to reiterate that [removal] is not required when the headgear is part of the applicant’s normal identification and apologize that Ms. Khalsa received misinformation”.

“We are grateful that Ms. Youngs acknowledged the mistake in denying Ms. Khalsa her driver’s license. We are encouraging her to take immediate steps to inform all DMV personnel about the religious and medical exemptions for head coverings in license photographs to prevent another Oregon resident from being denied a license,” said SALDEF National Director Rajbir Singh Datta. “SALDEF is pro-actively addressing this issue by urging the DMV administrators of those states that have a religious head covering exemption to take measures to ensure their personnel are well versed with the policy.”

While many states have exemptions for religious head coverings in license photographs, some DMV employees are not aware of them. This unfamiliarity often results in Sikh Americans not being able to obtain a driver’s license in a timely and uneventful manner. Commonly, the burden falls on the Sikh American applicant to inform and educate DMV personnel that the Sikh turban is a religious head covering and that exemptions exist in the DMV policies.

If you believe you have been denied access or been subject to any form of discrimination due to your Sikh identity, please report it immediately to SALDEF by , by sending an email, or by calling us toll-free at 877-917-4547.

SMART Collaborates with Alabama ACLU, Muslim Community Washington, DC— A discriminatory policy requiring Sikh Americans in Alabama to remove their turban for driver’s license photographs has been overturned. The revision of the policy, which also affected adherents of other faiths who wear head-coverings, was overturned following successful collaborative advocacy from the Sikh Mediawatch and Resource Task Force (SMART), the Alabama Sikh Sangat, the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Alabama Muslim community. “As soon as we were contacted by the Alabama Sikh community last month, we were confident this policy would be overturned,” said SMART National Director Preetmohan Singh. “The successful outcome in this instance was the result of joint efforts with the ACLU, the Alabama Muslim community, and above all the Alabama Sikh community.” In a joint statement, the organizations stated, “We are pleased that the Department of Public Safety has adopted a revised policy that complies with state and federal law and is mindful of every citizen’s constitutional right to freely exercise his or her religion.” SMART was informed of the policy earlier this month when Chitratan Singh, an Alabama Sikh student, was unable to obtain his driver’s license because he would not remove his turban. The old policy, under which no head-coverings could be worn in a driver’s license photograph, made no exception for religious head-coverings, even though none of them obscured facial features. As SMART’s Office of Legal Affairs researched the issue to provide relief for Chitratan Singh, they learned that the ACLU and the Alabama Muslim community had already begun mobilizing in the state. SMART wrote to Alabama officials and joined the ACLU’s effort to send a “Memorandum of Law.” “We knew we had the law on our side on this issue,” said Kimberly Parker, an attorney with the ACLU of Alabama. “It was an absolute pleasure to partner with SMART and the Sikh community to ensure that all Alabamans retain their religious freedom.” Throughout the effort, Rajinder Singh Mehta, a NASA engineer and Alabama resident for 35 years, coordinated SMART’s efforts by testifying at the State Capitol and keeping the Alabama community informed of the ongoing efforts. “I knew I could count on SMART’s staff to ask for written testimony or an update on the efforts,” said Mehta. “I am proud to have worked in such a united way, and am so happy to learn this policy has been changed.”