Nearly 500K License Applications in California Under AB60

California received nearly a half-million applications for driver’s licenses from immigrants in the country illegally in the three months since a new law took effect.

Department of Motor Vehicles Director Jean Shiomoto said in a statement that the figure shows far higher demand than the DMV expected. She said the agency thought it would take twice as long to get so many applications.

The DMV said in the figures released in April that of the about 494,000 applications already received, about 203,000 licenses have been granted and about 245,000 more are expected to be granted.

AB 60, signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, allows people in the country illegally to obtain driver’s licenses with identification from their home countries.