Headline:
There will be a community information session regarding driver privilege cards at Bishop McVinney Auditorium on May 30 at 6 p.m. Registration link below. New license plates are being issued over the next two years as registrations are renewed; all license plates will be replaced by December 2024.
Last-reviewed: 12pm, May 22, 2023
Key Resource:
The Basics
- In July 2023, driver privilege cards will be issued to Rhode Islanders who are undocumented but who have filed a RI tax return or be dependent of someone who filed a tax return. More information here, and a document with more details will download in English at this link, and in Spanish here. There will be a community information session regarding driver privilege cards at Bishop McVinney Auditorium on May 30 at 6 p.m. Registration link here.
- New license plates are being issued over the next two years as registrations are renewed; all license plates will be replaced by December 2024. More information here.
- DMV appointments must be made online. Here is full list of DMV services available online or by mail.
- The DMV also issues state identification cards that may not be used for driving. More information here.
- The Secretary of State’s office offers free Voter IDs for people who need identification cards to vote. To apply for an RI Voter ID, call the RI Department of State’s Election Division at (401) 222-2340 or send an email to elections@sos.ri.gov to make an appointment. A list of documents required may be found here.
The Breakdown
- Starting in July 2023, driver privilege permits will allow Rhode Islanders without social security numbers, but who have filed tax returns, permission to legally drive in RI.
- Unlike traditional driver’s licenses, these permits could not be used to vote, register to vote, get onto an airplane, or enter a federal building.
- Permits will cost $50 and last for two years.
- Online reservations for the DMV here.
- Providence residents are eligible for the Providence Municipal ID program. Municipal IDs are generally not accepted as substitutes for government issued IDs (e.g., driver’s licenses, passports, etc.)
The Bottom Line
- Care teams can provide information about driver’s permits and other forms of identification. Care teams can also provide information about the new driver’s permits for people who are undocumented; they will be eligible if they file a tax return and can seek assistance at a VITA tax clinic.
Spotlight on Consumer Rights
All state agencies and their employees (or contractors) are prohibited from engaging in unlawful discrimination on the basis of race, ancestry, color, religious affiliation, national origin, age, mental or physical disability, gender, sexual orientation, or political beliefs.
The DMV may in the course of its official duties make decisions or take actions based on a person’s age, mental or physical disability, citizenship or legal status in the U.S. For example, the DMV may need to suspend a person’s license based on a health condition that impairs a person’s ability to drive safely.
Care teams working with people who believe they have been discriminated against by a DMV employee (or contractor) can share information about the DMV Customer Service Agreement, the RI DMV Customer Feedback Form that people can complete on-line, or refer them to the RI Commission for Human Rights to file a complaint.
