California will soon share driver’s license data with other states through a national database, potentially exposing more than 1 million undocumented immigrants who received licenses under the state’s AB 60 program. The move comes after Democratic legislators authorized $55 million in the new state budget for the data-sharing initiative, marking a significant shift in how California handles information about illegal immigrants.

Database System Flags Non-Citizens

The California Department of Motor Vehicles will feed license information into the State-to-State Verification Service and a nonprofit-run SPEX database managed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators. The system captures the last five digits of Social Security numbers. Those without a valid SSN will have a default code of 99999 appear on their records, effectively flagging them in the national system.

Gavin Newsom's California to share driver's license data that could expose illegal immigrants https://t.co/CCLTkk7YPW pic.twitter.com/OX4cSgWTUo

— New York Post (@nypost) July 1, 2026

California’s Assembly Bill 60 has allowed illegal immigrants to obtain driver’s licenses since its passage, but these licenses differ from standard ones. Both the front and back of AB 60 licenses specifically indicate the document faces federal restrictions, making the designation visible to law enforcement and federal authorities.

Federal Compliance Drives Policy Shift

State officials justified California’s participation by citing compliance requirements with the federal Real ID Act. Without joining the data-sharing system, the Department of Homeland Security could refuse to accept California-issued identification documents at airports and federal facilities. This threat forced lawmakers to reconsider earlier opposition to the program, which had been rejected over concerns about inadequate protections for illegal immigrants.

H.D. Palmer, spokesperson for Governor Newsom’s Department of Finance, stated the revised legislation includes safeguards limiting shared information to the minimum necessary. The new version allows California’s attorney general to sue the nonprofit operator and any states that violate data-sharing agreements. All fulfilled data requests will be publicly disclosed, creating a transparency mechanism previously absent from the proposal.

Oversight Measures Added After Pushback

The DMV must submit a final monitoring plan by July 2027. Starting in 2030, the state auditor will conduct regular inspections to verify compliance with data-sharing guidelines. These oversight provisions represent concessions lawmakers demanded before authorizing the funding. The phased implementation gives advocacy groups time to monitor how other states access California’s license data and whether information about AB 60 license holders flows to federal immigration enforcement agencies, potentially triggering deportation proceedings against individuals who obtained licenses trusting state confidentiality promises.