A MAJOR change is coming to American driver’s licenses in the form of a new butterfly symbol.
The new law responsible for this change is also seeking to retrain state and local police departments to get their officers ready for the new change.
Maryland residents who have a “hidden disability” will find a butterfly symbol affixed to their next license in order to communicate their disability to law enforcement.
This will communicate to police officers that the person in question has an intellectual or developmental disability when it otherwise may not be apparent.
The symbol will also be added to state-issued identification cards and moped licenses, for those residents who don’t have full driver’s licenses but can still benefit from having the symbol.
While adding the symbol is free, the fees associated with license renewal or making other similar transactions will still apply.
The state’s Motor Vehicle Administration began issuing these updated licenses on Wednesday, the same day a slew of other traffic laws went into effect for the state.
Alongside this new law, two other laws were enacted to support it, with the first forcing the state to advertise the symbol’s availability for those who want to renew their licenses immediately to get it.
The second will have the Maryland Police Training and Standards Commission work with state police and “other interested stakeholders” to train law enforcement on interacting with not obviously differently-abled persons.
Called Eric’s ID Law, the bill is named after 20-year-old Montgomery County resident and college student Eric Carpenter-Grantham.
Carpenter-Grantham has high-functioning autism and is credited with championing the idea alongside his mother Linda.
“My mother felt that if I ever be stopped by law enforcement, I may not be able to respond in a manner that the police would expect,” he said of his motivation for creating the logo, per local NBC affiliate WRC.
“If [Eric and people like him are] ever stopped by law enforcement, we can be safe,” he furthered per Maryland Matters.
Former State Delegate Rachel Jones was also instrumental in getting the law passed, motivated by her 16-year-old son Aaron who is also diagnosed with high-functioning autism.
“I knew that one day [Aaron] would need some sort of protection, and so my desire came from wanting to protect him,” she said.
Senator William C. Smith Jr., and Delegates Jheanelle Wilkins and Kym Taylor are also credited with pushing the law into effect.
New October driving laws and rules
New driving laws coming on October 1, 2025:
- Maryland drivers who go 30 mph or higher over the posted speed limit will be charged with reckless driving and hit with up to 60 days in jail and $1,000 in fines. The same law also introduces new speeding cameras and a graduated fine scale, going as high as $425 for going 40 mph or higher over the limit.
- Maryland will also begin revoking the licenses of motorists convicted of impaired driving if they fled the scene of or caused death or life-threatening injury to someone involved in the incident they were convicted for. Application for reinstatement is possible to those affected after a certain time.
- Florida drivers with certain front-facing aftermarket lighting setups who are believed to be imitating or impersonating law enforcement while driving will be hit with up to $5,000 in fines and up to five years in prison.
- Florida will also begin forcing drivers who crash into property or another vehicle and flee the scene to pay for any damage they’ve caused.
- Another new Florida law will punish drivers who lead law enforcement on car chases, raising these offenses by one classification level and increasing their jail time accordingly. Repeat offenders will also have their sentences increased by 50%.
- The final new law for Florida will seek to increase the max sentences for repeat DUI and BUI offenders to 30 years from 15 years. The law will also make refusing a urine or breath test a misdemeanor offense, with repeat offenses raising the degree.
- Connecticut will officially classify reckless driving as a traffic offense from October 1 onward, defining it as driving at speeds of 100 mph or higher. Offenders can be hit with up to $1,000 in fines, a year in prison, and may have their vehicles impounded at the arresting officer’s discretion.
- Motorcycle drivers in Connecticut also have a new law to look out for, which will raise the mandatory helmet age threshold from 18 to 21 years old. Violators will be hit with fines ranging from $90 to $250, and the law also applies to riders of e-bikes with batteries higher than 750 watts.
- Connecticut will restrict predatory towing practices, which include forcing tow companies to take credit card payments, making it more difficult for them to sell a car in their possession, and restricting what they can tow vehicles for.
- Hoboken, New Jersey, will begin implementing traffic cameras focused on sending out parking tickets to violators, doing so without giving them any immediate notification. Violations the cameras are monitoring include double parking, blocking bike lanes, stopping in bike zones, and improper use of loading zones.
Other officials heavily praised Carpenter-Grantham’s efforts while also emphasizing the need to serve all members of the local community.
“We just want to let you know we’re here to serve you and thank you for getting this across. We will always be here for you, those who have invisible disabilities, and all of our community,” said Prince George’s County Sheriff John Carr to Carpenter-Graham.
The Carpenter-Grantham family advocated for the bill on a national stage thanks to appearances on Fox’s Sherri Shephard Show and ABC’s The View.
The law has also been receiving support from the Communication Workers of America, which has begun circulating a petition to get similar laws passed in states across the nation.
Marylanders who qualify for the logo can update their hidden disability designation via their online myMVA account.
Any of the 24/7 self-service kiosks at the state’s 24 MVA locations will also have this option, as will an in-person appointment at one of these locations statewide.
