Stanford bill expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities signed into law

Sen. Stanford (2nd from left), Gov. Ferguson. Anna Zivarts and Cecelia Black from Disability Rights Washington are to the right in the photo.

OLYMPIA – A bipartisan bill expanding job opportunities for people with disabilities was signed into law Tuesday.

Senate Bill 5501, sponsored by Sen. Derek Stanford (1st Legislative District), prohibits employers from requiring a driver’s license as a condition of employment unless driving is an essential part of the job.

“Some jobs require driving — and some don’t — but requiring a driver’s license for a job that doesn’t involve driving doesn’t make sense,” Stanford said. “We should not exclude qualified job candidates just because they don’t drive.”

U.S. Census data shows more than 12% of Washingtonians live with a disability.

“People with disabilities face many barriers to employment. As a result, we are a third less likely to be employed,” said Anna Zivarts, director of the Disability Mobility Initiative at Disability Rights Washington. 

“Even if we manage to live somewhere with reliable transit or find a job that allows for remote work, too often employers will still list a driver’s license as a condition of employment — even when the job has nothing to do with driving.”

About 12% of driving-age adults do not have driver’s licenses. People not licensed are more likely to be people of color and young people. In 2021, 25% of 16-year-olds had driver’s licenses, compared to 46% in 1983.

Washington now joins Oregon and California in passing such legislation. SB 5501 is effective July 27, 2025.