Help bring Eric’s ID Law to more states.

The symbol that speaks.

“We wrote a law so my friends could live.” Eric Carpenter-Grantham

Bring it to your state Read the story

A butterfly on a Maryland ID can signal a hidden disability to first responders.

A crowd applauds as a large sample Maryland driver's license with the butterfly symbol is unveiled outdoors at the MVA.

October 1, 2025

The butterfly is revealed on Maryland IDs

Hosted by the Motor Vehicle Administration.

In the news and on air

The View
AFRO
WMAR-2
WJLA ABC7
Maryland Matters
Bethesda Magazine
Capital News Service
Maryland MVA

Latest updates

In the news

All coverage →

Expansion October 15, 2026

Montgomery College celebrates its Butterfly Indicator Program, inspired by Eric's ID Law

The first college of the nation to put the butterfly symbol on the student IDs.

Honor July 29, 2026

Governor Moore presents Eric with the Governor's Disability Culture & Achievement Award

Honored at the ceremony closing Disability Pride Month — alongside an inaugural Legacy Award for Rep. Steny Hoyer.

Milestone June 2026

"Butterfly stampede" — tens of thousands of Marylanders request the butterfly

Maryland Matters and WTOP report the surge past 22,000 — more than 25,000 have requested it since IDs began printing.

How it began

How Eric chose the butterfly

After George Floyd was murdered, Eric cried for friends on the spectrum whose reactions to a traffic stop might be misread. “We gotta do something now,” he told his mother. He prayed on the symbol. They considered a star. Then Eric chose the butterfly — for hope, peace, freedom and change.

“The Butterfly represents Hope, Peace, Freedom and Change.”

Read Eric & Linda's story

A close-up selfie of Eric and Linda, who wears blue sunglasses and a blue suit. — The family behind Eric’s ID Law.

01 · The original colors

The butterfly’s colors

The butterfly began in the colors of the awareness ribbon—colors for all hidden disabilities.

02 · Made black

Clear on the ID

Maryland required the butterfly to be black on the license, making the symbol unmistakable.

03 · Carried in blue

Calmness and acceptance

Royal blue honors Eric's late father and carries the calmness and acceptance of autism-ribbon blue.

Other states

1 state down. 49 to go.

Maryland showed what is possible. Eric and Linda are forming a nonprofit to carry the butterfly to every state.

Over 32,221 Marylanders have the butterfly on their state ID or driver’s license

Maryland

Law

Bill: HB 707
Signed: May 13, 2025
First IDs: October 1, 2025

Delaware

In committee

Bill: HB 280
Filed: January 2026
Status: In committee

DC

DC Council passed

Bill: B26-0619
Hearing: June 4, 2026
Status: Voted out of committee; passed by the Washington, DC Council

New York

In committee

Bill: A1549-A / S6396-A
Introduced: January 2025
Status: In committee

On the road

Meetings, hearings and community visits

Council chambers, police departments, statehouses and community events: here is where Eric and Linda have taken Eric's ID Law.

Montgomery College reveal in the butterfly program inspired by Eric's ID Law. They have put the butterfly symbol on the student IDs. And that happened on October 15, and they became the first college of the nation to put the butterfly symbol on the student IDs.
Eric speaking at a Montgomery College podium as Linda, beside him, smiles and applauds.
Eric in a dark suit holding up his new Montgomery College student ID at a campus ID photo station.
Eric and Linda with a large group of guests and officers in front of a Montgomery College backdrop, the oversized butterfly student ID held up in the middle.
Eric and Linda with three guests on a purple carpet in front of the Montgomery College backdrop, the oversized butterfly student ID at their feet.
Linda and Eric standing beside the oversized butterfly student ID on an easel in a Montgomery College hallway.
Eric and Linda with a guest in a pink dress at the Montgomery College celebration.
Eric and Linda with two guests beside the podium at the Montgomery College celebration.
Eric and Linda with two guests in front of the Montgomery College backdrop, the oversized student ID in front of them.
A framed sample of Eric's butterfly driver's license surrounded by handwritten messages of congratulations, with a blue butterfly at the bottom.
A sample Maryland driver's license with Eric's photo, an arrow pointing to the butterfly symbol, and the words Eric's ID Law.
From the Eric's ID Law 1-year Anniversary Celebration hosted by Linda and Eric's primary sponsor Andrew's Federal Credit Union.
Close-up of hands lifting a butterfly out of a small light-blue envelope.
Linda and Eric seated in the front row of the audience, smiling.
Eric holding a framed State of Maryland citation between Linda and a guest in a white jacket.
Eric holding the framed State of Maryland citation with Linda and four guests in front of balloons.
Eric handing a glass award to a seated older guest as Linda and other guests look on.
Eric holding a glass award beside Linda and a guest at the podium, with a sample butterfly driver's license on the screen behind them.
Eric and Linda with two guests, one holding a glass award and a gift bag.
Eric and Linda with four honorees holding glass awards.
Eric and Linda with five honorees holding glass awards in front of a row of flags.
Linda and Eric seated among guests in the audience at the celebration.
A full room of guests facing a speaker at the podium during the celebration.
Advocating for Eric's ID Law in Salisbury, Maryland. Sheriff Matt Crisafulli of Worcester County and his wife came to surprise Eric and Linda and visit with them.
Eric with uniformed officers and a guest in front of the Eric's ID Law banner at the Salisbury booth.
Eric smiling at the Eric's ID Law table under a blue event tent in Salisbury.
Eric seated at the booth table with butterfly stickers and flyers, the Eric's ID Law banner beside him.
Eric with Worcester County Sheriff Matt Crisafulli and his deputies in Ocean City, Maryland.
Eric and a woman in red, both in Eric's ID Law shirts, with a sheriff's deputy beside a patrol vehicle in Ocean City.
Eric received the award from PG County Executive Aisha Braveboy.
Eric holding his award on a red carpet with honorees in front of a lit backdrop.
Eric with Prince George's County Executive Aisha Braveboy.
Eric with Maryland House Speaker Joseline A. Peña-Melnyk.
Eric with Maryland State Senator Nick Charles.
Eric with former DC Councilmember Kenyan McDuffie.
Eric with Maryland State Senator Will C. Smith, Maryland State Delegate Kym Taylor and Motor Vehicle Administration Administrator Christine Nizer.
At the Governor's Disability Culture & Achievement Award ceremony, July 2026.
Eric with three guests in front of a large painted portrait at the award ceremony.
Eric with a guest in a dark suit at the award ceremony.
Eric seated on a white sofa holding his award, with a framed proclamation beside him.
Eric with DC Councilmember Robert White.
Eric and Linda with the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, DC Chapter, who came to the DC voting hearing to support Eric's ID Law. The DC bill was voted out of committee that day.
Eric and Linda, in a bright blue suit, with coalition members in black in the hearing room.
Coalition members embracing Eric in the DC Council hearing room.
Eric and Linda with the Chairman of the DC Committee on Transportation and the Environment and Councilmember Zachary Parker, one of the sponsors of the DC bill for Eric's ID Law.
Eric smiling beside a man in a blue suit and red tie in the DC Council hearing room.
Eric and Linda with two men in suits in the DC Council hearing room.
Eric and Linda at the DC hearing for Eric's ID Law.
Eric and Linda at the DC Council office.
Eric with Chief George Nader of the Prince George's County Police.
Eric with uniformed Prince George's County police officers in front of U.S., Maryland and county flags.
Linda and Eric with Maryland Secretary of State Police Colonel Micheal Jackson.
Eric smiling beside the uniformed officer in a campaign hat.
Eric and Linda with Washington, DC Police Chief Jeffery W. Carroll.
Eric and Linda with retired NFL player Santana Moss.
Eric in Albany, New York at the Statehouse meeting with New York Governor's staff to discuss Eric's ID Law Bill for New York.
Linda, a New York state trooper and Eric at the foot of the Capitol staircase in Albany.
Linda and Eric seated in a wood-paneled room beneath the New York State seal.
Eric with Sunni, midday host on 96.3 WHUR.
At the UPLYFT Blue Diamond Gala.

Their rallying cry

HOPE. PEACE. FREEDOM. CHANGE.

“The colors inside the wings represent the colors for ALL HIDDEN DISABILITIES!” Eric Carpenter-Grantham

How you can help

Help take the butterfly nationwide.

Here is how you can help bring Eric’s ID Law to your state.

Hear it in person

Invite Eric & Linda

Bring their story to your school, department or event.

Send an invitation

In your state

Bring it to your state

Start the conversation with leaders, families, and first responders where you live.

Get started

Questions and answers

Frequently asked questions

What is Eric's ID Law?

Eric's ID Law is a Maryland law, HB 707, that puts a butterfly symbol on state IDs and driver's licenses. A butterfly on a Maryland ID can signal a hidden disability to first responders. The law carries the name of Eric Carpenter-Grantham.

Who is Eric Carpenter-Grantham?

Eric's ID Law carries his name. Eric and his mother, Linda Carpenter-Grantham, are the family behind the law, and together they are bringing it to more states. Some news coverage calls him Eric Grantham.

What does the butterfly on an ID mean?

A butterfly on a Maryland state ID or driver's license can signal a hidden disability to first responders. In Eric's words, “The Butterfly represents Hope, Peace, Freedom and Change.” And: “The colors inside the wings represent the colors for ALL HIDDEN DISABILITIES!”

Is the butterfly voluntary?

Yes. The news coverage collected in the newsroom describes the butterfly as an optional symbol that Marylanders with hidden disabilities can request for their state ID or driver's license. One headline put it plainly: “Maryland Adds Optional Butterfly Symbol to Licenses to Support Residents with Hidden Disabilities.”

Which states have Eric's ID Law?

Maryland. The butterfly was revealed on Maryland IDs on October 1, 2025, at an event hosted by the Motor Vehicle Administration. Bills carrying Eric's name have been introduced in Delaware (HB 280) and New York (A1549-A / S6396-A), the Washington, DC Council passed its bill (B26-0619), and the States page tracks where each one stands.

How can I bring Eric's ID Law to my state?

Email ericsidlaw@gmail.com, and Eric and Linda will be in touch. You can also make an “I support Eric's ID Law” graphic on the Share page and post it with #EricsIDLaw.

How do I invite Eric and Linda to speak?

Use the speaking invitation form on the Invite page. Tell them who will attend, the date and location, whether the event is in person or virtual, and what you would like Eric and Linda to talk about. Submitting an invitation does not confirm a booking.