What's happening
This bill requires New York to establish a reciprocal agreement with Taiwan, allowing mutual exchange of driver licenses without testing.
Why it matters
Facilitates easier mobility for residents. By allowing New Yorkers in Taiwan and Taiwanese residents in New York to exchange driver licenses without extra knowledge or road tests, the bill reduces barriers for those relocating or working abroad, supporting smoother transitions and less bureaucratic hassle.
Strengthens New York–Taiwan ties. The reciprocal agreement requires direct cooperation between New York’s DMV and Taiwan’s transportation ministry, potentially deepening economic, academic, and cultural exchanges between the two regions.
Limits and safeguards included. The agreement only applies to non-commercial, unrestricted licenses for adults (18+), explicitly excluding commercial vehicle and motorcycle licenses, which helps maintain safety standards and ensures the process targets everyday drivers rather than professional operators.
Includes mechanisms for verification and termination. The bill mandates verification of the validity of original licenses and allows either party to cancel the agreement with three months’ notice, providing oversight and flexibility to adapt or end the arrangement if needed.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Driver License Reciprocity with Taiwan
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
Senator · Senate District 32
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to transportation
- Referred to transportation
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2951
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2019
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT in relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for reciprocity of driver licenses
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Ministry of Transportation and Communications represented by the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in New York for reciprocity in issuing driver licenses to citizens from the state of New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan) and to the Taiwanese citizens residing in the state of New York. The parties shall agree that reciprocal provisions for issuance and skills to acquire a driver license shall be applicable in New York and in the Republic of China (Taiwan).
§ 2. The parties shall agree that a holder of a valid driver license of the state of New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan), shall be able to exchange such license for a Taiwanese driver license at the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the knowledge and road test. Correspondingly, a holder of a valid Taiwanese driver license lawfully residing in the state of New York, who is not exempt from licensing requirements under the vehicle and traffic law, shall be able to exchange a Taiwanese license for a license in the state of New York at the nominal conversion fee, without being required to pass the knowledge and road test.
§ 3. The state of New York, through the commissioner of motor vehicles, and the Republic of China (Taiwan), through the Ministry of Transportation and Communications, shall agree on the following:
1. Each party to this agreement shall provide samples of driver licenses (or copies thereof) issued at the time of this agreement and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07620-01-9
S. 2951 2
thereafter, as well as a definition of all classes of driver licenses, notations and restrictions;
2. This agreement shall only apply to holders of unrestricted driver licenses aged 18 or older and shall not apply to applications for driver licenses for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle or motorcycle.
3. For the decision on the issuance of a driver license, the same standards, rules and regulations as for any resident of the state of New York and/or the Republic of China (Taiwan) shall apply.
4. Each side shall agree to verify whether the driver still has a valid driver license of the state in which he or she was originally licensed.
§ 4. The agreement shall be signed by both the commissioner of motor vehicles of the state of New York and the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in New York and may be cancelled or revoked in writing by either party at any time and for any reason with three months notice provided that notification shall be sent to the address provided by the parties in the agreement.
§ 5. The commissioner of motor vehicles shall draft the agreement and present such agreement to the Director General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural office in New York within ninety days of the date this act shall have become a law.
§ 6. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act in relation to requiring the commissioner of motor vehicles to enter into an agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan) for reci- procity of driver licenses
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would require the commissioner of motor vehicles to enter into a driver license reciprocity agreement with the Republic of China (Taiwan).
Summary of provisions
Section 1: This bill requires New York State and the Republic of China (Taiwan) to enter into a drivers' license reciprocity agreement. Section 2: The commissioner of motor vehicles and the Republic of China (Taiwan) through the Ministry of Transportation and Communications represented by the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States shall enter into an agreement for reciprocity in issuing driver licenses to citizens from NYS residing in Taiwan and to the Taiwanese citizens residing in NYS. Both parties will agree on the reciprocal provision for issuance and skills. Both parties shall agree that a holder of a valid, unexpired license residing of the state of New York residing in the Republic of China (Taiwan), will be able to exchange such license for a Taiwanese driver license at a nominal conversion fee, without being require to pass the theoretical and practical test and vice versa. If the license is expired, all tests will be required. Section 3: Both parties shall agree on: 1. Each party shall provide sample of driver licenses issued at time of the agreement and definition of all classes of driver licenses, notations and restrictions. 2. A practical driving test and/or medical documentation attesting to physical or mental capabilities shall only be required in situations where the driving examiner has cause to believe that the person concerned is physical or mentally not qualified to operate a motor vehicle 3. This agreement only applies to holders of unrestricted driver licenses aged 18 or older and shall not apply to applications for driver licenses for the operation of a commercial motor vehicle or motorcycle 4. The standards, rules and regulations shall be the same as for any resident of the state of NY and/or the Republic of China (Taiwan) 5. The new driver license shall be issued after processing the application for the driver license and the original shall be returned to the applicant once the new one is issued. 6. When technically possible, each side shall agree to verify if the driver license is still valid in the state it was issued. Section 4: This agreement shall be signed by both the commissioner of motor vehicles of NYS and the Representative of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative office in the United States and may be canceled or revoked in writing by either party at any time and for any reason with three months' notice provided that notifi- cation is sent to the address provided by the parties in agreement. Section 5: The commissioner of motor vehicles shall draft the agreement and present such agreement to the Representatives of the Taipei Economic Cultural Representatives office in the United States within 90 days of the date this act shall have become law.
Read the full memo (721 words)
Justification
Currently, there are 16 states - MA, MD, DE, ID, WA, OR, SC, AL, AR, OK, TX, MS, FL, PR (Puerto Rico), AZ and PA - that have entered into such agreements with Taiwan. By entering into a driver license reciprocity agreement, New York State's Department of Transportation and the Repub- lic of China (Taiwan), through the Ministry of Transportation and Commu- nications, would agree to recognize and exchange valid driver's licenses issue by the other's jurisdiction. The benefit for New York State for Taiwanese businessmen, researchers, students and so on to get a New York State license would be the increase of mobility in the State which in turns is a direct benefit to the economic development of New York State. The licensing and skill requirements necessary to become licensed in each jurisdiction are comparable - ensuring that Taiwanese license hold- ers would meet the same rules and regulations and high standards as New York driver license holders and vice versa. Thus, guaranteeing the safe- ty of our roadways.
Prior legislative history
A.11285 of 2018
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.