Ed. Note: The following is a news release provided by the Department of Motor Vehicles. 

Over half a million drivers licenses have been issued since January 2015, when Assembly Bill 60, which allowed those without proof of citizenship to take the driving test, was implemented.

The California Department of Motor Vehicles has issued 605,000 driver licenses under the bill since Jan. 2, 2015.

“DMV committed to successfully implementing this new law to increase safety on California’s roads by putting licensed drivers behind the steering wheel,” said DMV Director Jean Shiomoto. “One year after AB 60 implementation there are 605,000 more drivers on the road who have passed all testing requirements and demonstrated their knowledge of California’s rules of the road.”

Under AB 60, the DMV can issue an original driver license to an applicant who lacks proof of legal presence in the United States but meets all other requirements to obtain a driver license, including proof of identity and California residency and meeting all other licensing requirements including written and drive tests.

Related Story: California Department Of Motor Vehicles Releases September Assembly Bill 60 Statistics

During the program’s first year, the DMV has administered 2,091,000 knowledge and drive test examinations. As of Dec. 31, 2015, approximately 830,000 AB 60 applicants have applied for a driver license.

On average, DMV issued approximately 50,000 new driver licenses per month under AB 60 during the first year of implementing the new law.                            

January – 59,000                             

February – 72,000                                

March – 76,000                             

April – 74,000                             

May – 60,000                             

June – 56,000                             

July – 45,000                                

August – 37,000                                

September – 34,000                                

October – 35,000                                

November – 26,000                                

December – 31,000                                 

Total- 605,000

(all numbers are rounded)

AB 60 was signed into law in October 2013 and gave the DMV one year to get ready to implement one of the biggest programs in the department’s history.

Steps DMV took to successfully implement the new program included:

Opening four Driver License Processing Centers (DLPCs) in Stanton, Lompoc, Granada Hills, and San Jose.

Hiring and training approximately 1,000 new employees.

Developing regulations detailing documents required to prove identity and residency requirements.

Extending office hours through June 25, 2015, and added Saturday service through October 25, 2015, to meet new customer demand.

The California DMV has engaged in more than 200 public outreach events across the state.

Applicants are reminded about the importance of studying for the driver license knowledge exam, as well as practicing for their drive test. The department also reminds new drivers about obeying the rules of the road. A webpage was created to address specific program information on AB 60, and is available here.