The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles reported a massive spike in demand in the six months after an immigrant driver’s license law went into effect this summer,  state transportation officials said Tuesday afternoon.

The registry issued 91,961 new learner’s permits and 54,952 new, first-time driver’s licenses to Massachusetts residents since July 1. That’s when people without lawful proof of presence in the United States could start applying for a standard, five-year driver’s license or learner’s permit if they provided at least two documents proving their identity and date of birth.

The massive spike in new learner’s permit issued is a 244% increase and new driver’s license issued is a 120% increase over the same time period in 2022, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation said.

The RMV hired more than 250 front line staff and road test examiners, expanded service hours Monday through Friday, and opened additional road test locations in anticipation of high demand after the law went into effect, officials there said.

Thousands of Massachusetts residents, regardless of their immigration status, were able to access driver’s licenses which helped “provide access to friends, families, and their communities,” Transportation Secretary Monica Tibbits-Nutt said in a statement.

“We are especially proud of the language and interpreter assistance provided to applicants, underscoring our commitment to helping all eligible applicants,” Tibbits-Nutt said.

The law, which supporters called the “Work and Family Mobility Act” and drew support from at least 55 leaders of local law enforcement agencies last year, was praised as a way to make sure all drivers in the state are insured and road safety is taught to all motorists.

It survived a veto from former Republican Gov. Charlie Baker and a failed Republican-led campaign to overturn the law.

Brazilian Worker Center Executive Director Lenita Reason and 32BJ SEIU’s Roxana Rivera, two advocates who pushed for the law, said Tuesday that the biggest obstacle many residents faced in getting a driver’s license “was the longstanding linkage of driving privileges to immigration status.”

“We were deeply pleased that our governmental partners went beyond our expectations in their openness, availability and willingness to quickly address issues around the successful implementation of the new law that has removed that obstacle, so that our roads can be safer for everyone,” the pair said in a statement provided by the state Department of Transportation.