California allows automatic voter registration when obtaining a driver's license.
Said by Rep. Riley M. Moore, Checked Updated
- Sources
- 3 support3 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 90%
The John Phillips ShowOct 17, 2026
California's Motor Voter program automatically registers eligible DMV driver's license applicants to vote unless they opt out, as confirmed by the Secretary of State's 2026 pages and guidance.
Our two reads of who says this, and how, disagree, so it counts as the post's own claim.
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… 20,000 is a small, small number. Well, i think about this for a second: the DMV issues driver's licenses to illegal aliens, correct? Yes. Thanks for that one, Gil Sidio. Okay, and then the DMV automatically registers you to vote when you get a driver's license, correct? They call it Motor Voter, 'cause everything has to rhyme. Okay, so you're telling me that if illegals can get driver's licenses, and the state is putting pressure on the DMV to register everyone with a driver's license who's a citizen to vote, that you're not going to have a bunch …
The John Phillips Show · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The California Secretary of State's Motor Voter page (published 2026-10-03) states eligible applicants completing a driver license or ID transaction at the DMV are automatically registered to vote unless they opt out.[4]
Supports. The SOS guidance (published 2026-01-18) describes the New Motor Voter Program under AB 1461, under which all DMV customers who indicate eligibility are automatically sent to the SOS unless they opt out.[5]
Supports. The SOS voter guide pages dated 2026-10-08 repeat that eligible individuals completing driver's license transactions are automatically registered unless they opt out.[6]
Context. An Audit (2019) and PolitiFact (2019) describe the program as operating since April 2018 and automatically registering DMV visitors unless they opt out, consistent with the current description.[1][2]
Context. FactCheck.org (2018) confirms the program automatically registers people who renew or obtain a license unless they opt out, and that federal law already required offering registration at the DMV.[3]
Sources
6 sources: 3 fact-checkers, 3 primary
- 1Audit finds problems with California 'motor voter' programapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 2No evidence 449000 noncitizens were registered to vote in Californiapolitifact.com · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 3California Won't Register 'Illegal' Voters - FactCheck.orgfactcheck.org · fact-checker · cited for: context
- 4California Motor Voter - California Secretary of Statesos.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 5Guidance: California New Motor Voterelections.cdn.sos.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
- 6California Motor Voter - Past Voter Information Guides - CA.govvigarchive.sos.ca.gov · primary source · cited for: supports
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post
Checked 3 times
Each check reads the sources again. The newest verdict is the one this page states.
- · latestTrue
- True
- True
Related claims
- California registers people to vote based on an affidavit without requiring documentary proof of citizenship.True
- Washington State allows individuals to register to vote when applying for a driver's license by attesting to their citizenship status.True
- California has approximately 23 million registered voters.True