Boston City Council Holds First Hearing on Municipal ID Card Ordinance

BOSTON — September 12, 2025 — Boston City Council holds first hearing on a proposed municipal ID card for all residents. The Committee on Government Operations, chaired by Councilor Gabriela Coletta Zapata, convened virtually Friday on Docket 0900, an ordinance sponsored by Councilor Julia M. Mejia that would create a free, city-issued ID available regardless of immigration status, housing situation, or gender identity. City Registrar Paul Chong warned that full implementation could take years and cited a 2017 cost estimate of $8 million over five years, while also flagging that Massachusetts public records law may require the city to disclose applicant names if requested. Administrators from Chicago, Philadelphia, and New Orleans described programs already operating at far lower costs — Chicago's annual budget runs $1,266,735 for more than 150,000 IDs issued — though Chicago recently paused its online portal after a federal ICE subpoena for applicant data. Lawyers for Civil Rights staff attorney Brooke Simone urged Boston to retain no applicant information and to brand the card as an "ID for all" to reduce the data's value to federal enforcement agencies.