What's happening
This bill requires an updated photo for every driver's license renewal in New York State.
Why it matters
Enhances identification accuracy. By requiring an updated photo with every license renewal, the bill aims to ensure that driver's licenses better reflect a person's current appearance, making it harder to use outdated or misleading identification.
Potentially increases administrative steps and costs. Drivers will need to have a new photo taken at each renewal, which may require in-person visits more frequently and could result in higher administrative costs or time commitments compared to renewals that previously reused old photos.
Affects privacy and data management. Regularly updating photo records means the state will collect and store more biometric data over time, raising considerations about how these images are managed, stored, and potentially used by other government agencies.
Impacts on security and fraud prevention. The new requirement could help reduce identity fraud and misuse of driver’s licenses, since relying on a current photo makes it more difficult for someone else to use a license that isn’t theirs.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require New License Photos
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
7 Co-sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Require New License Photos
In Senate Committee · Transportation · Sponsor Daphne Jordan
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1546
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. WOERNER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring an updated photo for the renewal of a driver's license
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 6 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as amended by section 3 of part K of chapter 59 of the laws of 2009, is amended to read as follows:
(a) A license issued pursuant to subdivision five of this section shall be valid until the expiration date contained thereon, unless such license is suspended, revoked or cancelled. Such license may be renewed by submission of an application for renewal, the fee prescribed by law, proofs of prior licensing, fitness and acceptable vision prescribed by the commissioner, the applicant's social security number, and [if required by the commissioner] a photo image of the applicant in such numbers and form as the commissioner shall prescribe. In addition, an applicant for renewal of a license containing a hazardous material endorsement shall pass an examination to retain such endorsement. The commissioner shall, with respect to the renewal of a hazardous materials endorsement, comply with the requirements imposed upon states by sections 383.141 and 1572.13 of title 49 of the code of federal regulations. A renewal of such license shall be issued by the commissioner upon approval of such application, except that no such license shall be issued if its issuance would be inconsistent with the provisions of section five hundred sixteen of this title, and except that the commissioner may refuse to renew such license if the applicant is the holder of a currently valid or renewable license to drive issued by another state or foreign country unless the applicant surrenders such license.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01208-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.