Massachusetts RMV Adds Seven New Languages to Learner's Permit Exams

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) announced today, Monday, March 20, that learner's permit exams for passenger car (Class D) and motorcycle (Class M) licenses will be available in seven additional foreign languages, increasing the total number of languages offered to 35. The newly added languages are Albanian, Cape Verdean Creole, Hungarian, Kiswahili, Pashto, Turkish, and Ukrainian.

Transportation Secretary & CEO Gina Fiandaca said, "MassDOT is focused on equitably supporting all communities in Massachusetts. This announcement demonstrates MassDOT's continued focus on identifying ways in which customer service offerings can be improved to be more accessible, inclusive, equitable, and convenient for residents across the Commonwealth." Fiandaca thanked the RMV staff, stakeholders, and others who collaborated to translate the materials to help customers secure their learner's permits.

Registrar of Motor Vehicles Colleen Ogilvie added, "The RMV is pleased to automate the learner's permit in these seven new foreign languages." She noted that the change supports commonly requested languages, assists new residents from Afghanistan and Ukraine, and aids the established Cape Verdean community in Southeastern Massachusetts.

The Class D and M learner's permit exams consist of a randomized set of 25 questions designed to assess applicants' knowledge of roadway signage, rules of the road, impaired operation dangers and penalties, and specific topics such as sharing the road with bicyclists and hands-free driving laws. Test questions are developed using information from the Massachusetts Driver's Manual, available at https://www.mass.gov/doc/drivers-manual/download.

Appointments for learner's permit applications are required and can be made at Mass.Gov/RMV.

The RMV is also finalizing an American Sign Language permit exam to be offered in RMV Service Centers this spring. Furthermore, the agency has completed translating two critical informational resource documents into 11 languages to help customers prepare for the Registry's identification document requirements and provide details on the road test process. The translated acceptable identification document checklist can be found on Mass.Gov/ID, and the translated road test information document is available at Mass.Gov/RoadTest.