RMV saw huge spike in driver’s licenses issued since this new law went into effect

SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – It has been one year since the Work and Family Mobility Act went into effect in Massachusetts, allowing undocumented immigrants to legally obtain a driver’s license.

According to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV), since the law went into effect on July 1, 2023, they have issued a combined total of 183,825 new learner’s permits and 128,079 new driver’s licenses in Massachusetts. This is a 161% increase for learner’s permits and a 132% increase for driver’s licenses in the state compared to the same time period from 2022 to 2023.

Of the 128,079 new driver’s licenses, 54,238 were out-of-state conversions. The RMV did not specify how many learner’s permits or driver’s licenses were directly issued to undocumented immigrants.

“The Work and Family Mobility Act has made our roads safer, our economy stronger, and improved the quality of life for thousands of our residents,” said Governor Maura Healey. “I’m grateful for the hard work of our RMV employees to make the first year of implementation such as success, as well as for the advocates, elected officials and public safety leaders who made it possible for us to get here.”

To accommodate for the influx of people looking to obtain a driver’s license since the Work and Family Mobility Act, MassRMV hired an additional 250 employees, extended service hours including on the weekends for some locations and offered interpreters for more than 100 different languages.

“Over the past year, the Work and Family Mobility Act has opened the door to RMV services for newly-eligible applicants and has set an example of what it means to put equity and human compassion at the forefront of public service,” said Transportation Secretary and CEO Monica Tibbits-Nutt.

“What has been most rewarding is all the wonderful stories we’ve heard and examples we’ve seen since last summer of residents whose lives have been changed by this law. One of those examples is a daughter taking a picture of her mom to mark the special milestone of being issued a learner’s permit to drive, which was especially heartwarming,” said Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie.

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