New Jersey is taking steps to join a dozen states in the nation that give driver licenses to undocumented immigrants.

Gov. Phil Murphy supports it and legislation has been introduced in both chambers of the Legislature. But more than that, the state's Motor Vehicle Commission is preparing for the measure.

The head of the MVC, Sue Fulton, told lawmakers this week the office has reached out to other states that offer licenses to undocumented immigrants to learn up on the requirements.

"We are aware of the governor's intent on this matter, and we're leaning forward in terms of learning more," Fulton said, according to a report from 101.5FM.

Fulton has also been in talks with lawmakers who sponsored legislation that would get the program off to a start, including Assemblywoman Annette Quijano said in a statement.

"As the long-time prime sponsor of this legislation, I appreciated Director Fulton accepting my request to discuss this bill," Quijano told NJ Advance Media in a statement. "I walked away from our meeting knowing that she understands the importance of this matter and that she will be a partner I look forward to working with."

Proponents of giving licenses to undocumented immigrants say it'll make the state's streets safer because they'll be trained to drive and insured.

"Right now, undocumented immigrants often choose to drive without licenses, which results in uninsured drivers on the road whose skills behind the wheel have not been vetted," Murphy spokesman Dan Bryan said.

"Governor Murphy believes that all New Jersey residents will be safer while driving if more drivers are given the opportunity to legally obtain licenses," he said.

The other states with such programs are California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Vermont and Washington.

Matt Arco may be reached at marco@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MatthewArco or Facebook.