Kemp: immigration law could delay licenses

ATLANTA - Georgia's secretary of state says the state's new law targeting illegal immigration could delay professional licenses.

A provision of the law that takes effect Jan. 1 requires people applying for public benefits, which include professional licenses, to prevent a "secure and verifiable" form of identification.

Secretary of State Brian Kemp says it currently takes his office about 30 days to process new licenses and about two weeks for renewals. Kemp says the increased paperwork could delay approval times by 90 to 120 days.

License applicants can submit copies of their identification electronically, but hand-delivered documents have to be scanned and attached to applicants' files.

Kemp says he's working with the governor's office and seeking more funding to increase his staff.