More than 128,000 newly licensed drivers were on Massachusetts roads in the past year, and officials linked the surge to the one-year anniversary of a law allowing undocumented immigrants to apply for licenses.
The Registry of Motor Vehicles said Monday it has issued 183,825 new learner’s permits and 128,079 new driver’s licenses since the so-called Work and Family Mobility Act (WFMA) took effect last July 1.
It’s not clear exactly how many of those permits and licenses went to undocumented immigrants who until last year were not eligible, but the volume shows a significant uptick that officials attributed to the law.
RMV officials said they issued 161 percent more learner’s permits and 132 percent more driver’s licenses over the past year compared to the same time period from 2022 to 2023. The volume of new licenses includes roughly 54,238 out-of-state license conversions, the RMV said.
“As we mark the anniversary, we celebrate positive results and hope to reach even more individuals that are eligible for a driver’s license in Massachusetts, (and) to make sure sure that they know how to start the journey and complete the journey,” Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie said during a press conference outside the State House Monday afternoon, which featured translation of all English remarks into Spanish and Portuguese.
“Work and Family Mobility has been life-changing for so many residents to take children to the doctor’s, to visit family members, to do their grocery shopping and visit friends,” Ogilvie continued. “It’s been such an important part of their communities, and we are so thankful for the successful implementation.”
Massachusetts residents who do not have lawful presence in the United States can apply for and obtain driver’s licenses, which RMV officials say look exactly like licenses for all other Bay Staters. The law enables the RMV to accept more documents that prove people’s identity and date of birth,…