RMV now accepting driver's license applications from undocumented immigrants in Massachusetts

BROCKTON - A new law now allows undocumented immigrants to get a driver's license in Massachusetts.

The Registry of Motor Vehicles started accepting applications Monday. The law passed seven months ago and the RMV insists it's ready for the new applicants, even with its' long history of staffing issues and lines.

Isabel Lopez, executive director of the Brockton Workers Alliance, helped set up an informational tent outside the RMV in Brockton Monday to guide new applicants through the process.

"This is an important moment, an amazing moment, a historical moment for many people in our communities," she told WBZ-TV. "I think it will help everyone. In the past, people had accidents, they run and they were so fearful and other people taking advantage of them as well. Now with an identification, a driver's license, you can not be afraid, you can just be on the road safer, feel safer." 

The law was made possible through the Work and Family Mobility Act which was passed in November 2022.

Massachusetts driver manuals are now written in 15 languages and the RMV said it will have interpreters available. Applicants need proof of identification, birth and Massachusetts residency.

The RMV anticipates 1,000 more customers a day at its locations just in the first six months and insisted it has been ramping up to meet the influx with extended hours and staff.

"Having the ability to have a Driver's License enables them to operate in our communities, operate in our economy, take their families and friends to doctors, visit friends and family, so, in terms of public safety we think that's an important aspect of the process, that they go through the credentialing process," Registrar Colleen Ogilvie told reporters Monday.

"We worked hard for a process that's built on trust with our community in accordance with the law that was passed and the proof will be in how we implement this," said Transportation Secretary Gina Fiandaca. 

Extended Saturday hours start next weekend. Some locations are already booked out through late July.