The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is gearing up for an influx of driver's license applications due to a new law passed last year, allowing residents without legal status to apply for a license for the first time starting July 1st. This new group of potential applicants, estimated to be around 200,000 people, would far exceed the number of first-time license applications the RMV issues annually, which is about 120,000 people.
To prepare for the surge of applications, the RMV plans to hire around 140 new workers and has already started the hiring process. However, unlike some agencies facing worker shortages and hiring struggles, the RMV is not considering offering sign-on bonuses for new workers.
The state budget for the fiscal year 2023 included around $9 million for initial start-up costs for the Registry. Governor Maura Healey recommends $28 million be spent in the fiscal year 2024 to implement the law. The Healey administration has repeatedly stated that standard RMV fees will offset the investment to bolster the Registry's capacity.
According to the Executive Office of Administration and Finance, if all 200,000 newly-eligible residents apply for a license in 2024, fees could more than counterbalance the governor's recommended $28 million funding. The Registry would receive around $30.5 million in total revenue from the permit application fee, the road test fee, and the license issuance fee from the new applicants.
The RMV is also preparing to train staff to verify new ID documents from other countries, hire more customer service representatives and road test examiners, invest in new technology to expand service operations and develop procedures to ensure data privacy. Former Governor Charlie Baker vetoed the licensing bill, stating that the Registry lacks the expertise to verify the many types of documents that other countries issue and which will be relied upon as proof of identity.
