Gov. Baker signs bill updating driver’s licenses for those with legal status
Gov. Charlie Baker has signed legislation that will update Massachusetts driver’s licenses, finally bringing the state into compliance with the post-9/11 requirement to create a more secure ID card.
The legislation also explicitly prohibits undocumented immigrants from getting a legal driver’s license, an issue that had sparked some pushback among legislators. Baker had sent a section of the state budget on Real ID funding back to the legislature to clarify language on whether those without legal status could get the ID, State House News reports.
Despite some pushback, the House and Senate approved a line that would clarify the ID would only be available to those with documented legal status.
“I thank the members of the Legislature for their attention to the Commonwealth’s compliance with federal REAL ID security standards and ensuring that all applicants must show proof of lawful presence in order to obtain any Massachusetts credential,” Baker said in a statement.
The Real ID Act, passed in 2005, created minimum standards for state-issued driver’s licenses, which would then be required to enter airplanes or federal buildings across the country. But Massachusetts was one of a number of states that did not come into compliance with the act. The state was granted an exemption from the act in 2014 and 2015 by the federal government.
The RMV is expected to begin issuing the Real ID-compliant licenses in fall 2017.
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