Courtesy D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles.

D.C.’s undocumented immigrants have been able to get drivers licenses since 2014, but advocates have called the process unfair and burdensome due to a special appointment system that has months-long wait times. Starting August 2, though, the DMV will largely end the practice.

After the D.C. Council passed a law allowing undocumented immigrants to get a limited-purpose license, the DMV feared a huge rush of applicants at once, so they instituted an online appointment system. More than two years later, there are still wait times that stretch months. If an applicant shows up without a piece of paperwork, or fails part of the test, they have to go through the whole appointment process over again.

Sarah Palazzolo, an advocacy and communications coordinator at the Central American Resource Center, told DCist that it is “an unfairly difficult process,” and a Georgetown University study found it is one of several significant barriers facing undocumented immigrants who try to obtain a limited-purpose license.

In a budget hearing last month, DMV Director Lucinda Babers defended the appointment process, saying the agency would be overwhelmed it they did away with the system, but indicated that she was working with the administration on a solution.

Shortly thereafter, several councilmembers introduced a law that would mandate the process be “substantially equivalent” to that of any other license (it also specifies that the DMV can’t require a mandatory training course without making resources available to low-income residents).

Now, the agency says, they are largely doing away with the separate system. Anyone can walk in to all DMV locations between Wednesday and Saturday and obtain a limited purpose license.

Tuesdays will remain by appointment, though, because they are the busiest day of the week at the centers, according to DMV spokeswoman Vanessa Newton, since it is the first day of the week they are open.

“Appointments are still needed on Tuesdays to best manage the customer flow. Once appointments are eliminated and we have data on the outcome, we will analyze operations to determine if Tuesday appointments can also be eliminated,” she said, adding that the DMV remains concerned about an influx of applicants at once. The service centers don’t have space for additional knowledge test machines, which accounts for some of the backlog, according to Newton.