Motor vehicle records that were once publicly available in Massachusetts, such as those used to report on Boston City Councilor Kendra Lara’s crash into a house while driving with a revoked license, are now being withheld due to new regulations. These records, including individual driving histories and Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) data, have become inaccessible under the Work Family Mobility Act (WFMA), despite containing no immigration-related information — the law’s primary focus.
The New England First Amendment Coalition (NEFAC) is urging Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell to address this issue. In a letter sent on September 4, NEFAC explained that the WFMA and its related regulations are being misinterpreted to justify the withholding of these previously public records. The coalition is calling for regulatory changes to restore access to vital information under the public records law.
Beyond individual cases like Lara’s, these restrictions now prevent journalists from accessing important records, such as those involving police officers charged with or fired for drunk driving, making it impossible to determine if further violations occurred after they transferred to new jurisdictions. Similarly, CDL records, crucial for public safety reporting, are no longer available, limiting coverage of issues like the recent preferential treatment given to certain CDL applicants by State Police.
NEFAC emphasized that the WFMA was never intended to impose such secrecy on the public or journalists. The coalition expressed hope that regulations will be clarified, allowing the Registry of Motor Vehicles to release records that, while unrelated to immigration, are essential for public transparency and accountability.
