What's happening
This bill requires that driver's licenses, learner's permits, and ID cards issued to visa holders expire when their visa expires or when the document would normally expire, whichever comes first.
Why it matters
Aligns identification validity with legal status. By tying the expiration of driver’s licenses, learner’s permits, and ID cards for visa holders directly to the expiration date of their visas, this bill closes a potential gap where someone could retain valid state-issued identification after their legal status has lapsed.
Impacts access to services and rights. State-issued IDs are often required for daily activities such as renting housing, accessing financial services, or verifying age and identity. This change could affect a visa holder’s ability to access these services if their ID expires at the same time as their visa, even if visa renewal is pending.
Requires timely documentation updates. Visa holders will need to actively maintain and present proof of a valid visa to renew their license or ID if it expires before their visa does. This places greater administrative responsibility on individuals to keep their immigration status and state identification in sync.
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Who cares
Visa holders with New York driver's licenses or learner's permits
Their licenses or permits would expire when their visas expire or on the documents' normal expiration dates, whichever comes first.
Visa holders with New York non-driver identification cards
Their cards would face the same visa-linked expiration limit, with renewal allowed upon proof of a valid visa if the card expires first.
New York State Department of Motor Vehicles
The department would need to apply the visa-linked expiration rules and review proof of valid visas for qualifying renewals.
Headline styles
Tie Licenses to Visa Length
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1868
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 17, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PRETLOW -- read once and referred to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to the length of time that a person on a visa can hold a driver's license, learner's permit or non-driver identification card
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 503 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
(c) Whenever a driver's license or learner's permit issued pursuant to this article, or a privilege of operating a motor vehicle or of obtaining such a license or permit has been issued to an alien who has been issued a visa, such driver's license or learner's permit shall expire upon the expiration of the visa or upon the date the driver's license or learner's permit would otherwise expire under this chapter, whichever date first occurs. If the driver's license or learner's permit of an alien with a visa expires before the alien's visa expires then the alien can renew such license or permit upon showing the department proof of a valid visa.
§ 2. Section 491 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
1-a. Period of validity; visa. Whenever an identification card issued by the department has been issued to an alien who has been issued a visa, such identification card shall expire upon the expiration of the visa or upon the date the identification card would otherwise expire under this chapter, whichever date first occurs. If the identification card of an alien with a visa expires before the alien's visa expires then the alien can renew such identification card upon showing the department proof of a valid visa.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05397-01-9
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.