Foreign citizens applying for driver’s licenses at the Chapala office of the Jalisco Traffic Department (SVT) are being exempted from a new requirement to present a copy of the CURP personal identity number to carry out the process.
Other obligatory documentation and fees remain the same as before. Registration of the applicant’s CURP was woven into a revamping of the license issuance system implemented state-wide two weeks ago. According to Saray Camarena Flores, secretary of the Chapala SVT license desk, adjustment to revised procedures has provoked some headaches both for staff and applicants.
She says the first step has become more prolonged as more complete personal data must be fed into a computerized form and all original documents put through an electronic scanner. To facilitate registration of expats who don’t have a CURP, the office has worked out a special formula to fill in the requisite blank.Once the data is captured, the applicant can move on to the biometric station for a photograph, digital imaging of all 10 fingerprints and signature. All of the above applies to anyone filing for a first-time permit, renewal or replacement. Keep in mind that document reception is now limited to the hours of 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Applicants for new licenses are also required to pass an exam on knowledge of traffic regulations and a driving test. The exam has been honed down to just 10 questions and simplified with video images, practically eliminating need of translation for non-Spanish speakers. On the downside, however, the driving test is only applied between Noon and 2 p.m., meaning early birds may have to endure an extended wait or occupy themselves elsewhere during the interim.