While U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi announced legal action Wednesday against New York officials over a 2019 state law allowing immigrants to obtain state-issued driver's licenses regardless of legal status, the Empire State isn't alone in having such a mandate on the books.
Charlie Baker, a Republican, vetoed a bill in 2022 that allowed immigrants without legal status to obtain a state driver's license “because it requires the Registry of Motor Vehicles to issue state credentials to people without the ability to verify their identity.”.
The details of these laws can differ by state, including whether a driver's information can be shared with federal authorities - a key sticking point for Bondi, who called New York's law a “green light to illegal immigration.”.
While the legislation was enacted in part to help improve public safety on the roads and make it easier for the immigrant drivers to get insurance, there's a provision Bondi said requires the state's motor vehicles commissioner to inform license-holders when a federal immigration agency has requested their information.
Besides New York, other states with drive-only laws include California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington, which has the oldest one.
