Alaska DMV pauses licenses tied to TPS for Ukraine, Sudan and El Salvador

Alaska's Division of Motor Vehicles can't issue, renew or extend driver's licenses or REAL IDs based on Temporary Protected Status for Ukraine, Sudan or El Salvador, the state Office of Citizenship Assistance said Tuesday.

That means TPS holders from those countries can't renew their licenses or IDs for now, and an expired license can't be used to drive. The pause applies to everyone in those groups, the office said, and isn't a decision about any individual case.

The holdup is in Washington. TPS for El Salvador was set to end Sept. 9 and for Ukraine and Sudan on Oct. 19, but the U.S. Department of Homeland Security hasn't published decisions on whether to extend or end them.

State regulation requires the DMV to confirm temporary status through a federal system called SAVE and to set a card's expiration date to match the date the status ends. SAVE still shows the old end dates, so the DMV can't do either until DHS publishes new ones, the office said.

Until DHS decides, TPS holders keep their protection, including permission to work, according to federal guidance for employers.

TPS is a federal humanitarian status for people from countries where armed conflict, environmental disasters or other extraordinary conditions make it unsafe to return. Alaska News reported in July that TPS holders should check their work permits after automatic extensions were cut, and in September that Sen. Lisa Murkowski is cosponsoring a bill to keep TPS for Ukrainians.

People in Alaska through Uniting for Ukraine or other humanitarian parole are in a different situation, the office said, and it will share updates for them as DHS releases more information.

The office urged TPS holders to check the date on their license or ID and to watch the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services website for DHS decisions. "Social media posts and videos are not official sources," it said.