Editorial: Why should a driver's license be required for jobs that don't involve driving?

A woman rides her electric bike to work in San Diego.

June 23, 2024 5:01 AM PT

When Kirsten Bladh was searching for a job in urban planning she was surprised that nearly all the public sector listings she saw required a driver’s license, even though these were largely office work positions and often located in communities that have lots of bike lanes and transit options.

This is not an unusual experience for job seekers in California. Requiring a driver’s license seems to be a standard part of the screening process regardless of whether driving is necessary for the job. Even a bike mobility planning job in one Southern California city insisted that applicants have a license.

The requirement is not only arbitrary, it’s discriminatory.

It unfairly closes off jobs to certain groups, including people with disabilities that prevent them from driving, young adults and low-income individuals who cannot afford a car or insurance, and people who choose not to drive for personal reasons. Having a driver’s license is irrelevant to a person’s skills and capabilities. If a would-be employee is qualified, can reliably show up to the jobsite and do the work, why should it matter whether they drive?

Bladh, who is now associate director of state policy for Streets for All, decided to turn her frustration into legislation. The group worked with Sen. Anthony Portantino (D-Burbank) on a bill that would make it illegal under the California Fair Employment and Housing Act for employers to require that applicants have a driver’s license unless the job includes driving.

Senate Bill 1100 is a smart change that has sailed through the Legislature so far with no opposition. That’s good. California should be removing unnecessary barriers to employment.

The requirement for a driver’s license is a particularly pernicious barrier because it can be used as a subtle way to screen candidates for income, race and socioeconomic status. It’s expensive to own a car and pay for auto insurance in California, and proof of vehicle insurance is necessary to take a driver’s test. And if people can’t afford to own a car, there’s less need for them to obtain a license to drive.

Studies have shown that Black and Latino drivers in California are more likely to have their licenses suspended because of unpaid tickets, which is fueled by the state’s extraordinarily high fines and fees and racial profiling in traffic stops, according to California’s Racial and Identity Profiling Advisory Board.

Plus, the driver’s license requirement perpetuates the stereotype that a responsible adult is a driving adult. It encourages car dependency, which only worsens traffic and air pollution. Driving should be a choice, not a requirement in this day and age. And California is spending hundreds of millions of dollars a year building out transit, pedestrian and bicycling infrastructure so more people can safely and easily make the choice to get around without a car.

Bladh said she was particularly confounded to see so many urban planning jobs demanding a driver’s license, when much of the work is to design modern cities to reduce people’s reliance on cars.

“You’d think it would be a benefit to have someone who chooses to live car-free.”