Assembly Bill A7196

2025-2026 Legislative Session

Directs the department of motor vehicles to issue New York drivers licenses to certain individuals

download bill text pdf

Sponsored By

Current Bill Status - In Assembly Committee

  • Introduced
    • In Committee Assembly
    • In Committee Senate
    • On Floor Calendar Assembly
    • On Floor Calendar Senate
    • Passed Assembly
    • Passed Senate
  • Delivered to Governor
  • Signed By Governor

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2025-A7196 (ACTIVE) - Details

See Senate Version of this Bill:
S4984
Current Committee:
Assembly Transportation
Law Section:
Vehicle and Traffic Law
Laws Affected:
Amd §502, V & T L
Versions Introduced in Other Legislative Sessions:
2017-2018: A8204
2019-2020: A2098, S8300
2021-2022: A1628, S4172
2023-2024: A6473, S8199

2025-A7196 (ACTIVE) - Summary

Relates to directing the department of motor vehicles to issue New York drivers' licenses to individuals holding a valid or recently expired driver's license from certain Caribbean countries.

2025-A7196 (ACTIVE) - Bill Text download pdf 

                             
                     S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
 ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                   7196
 
                        2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                           I N  A S S E M B L Y
 
                              March 21, 2025
                                ___________
 
 Introduced  by  M.  of A. CHANDLER-WATERMAN -- read once and referred to
   the Committee on Transportation
 
 AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation  to  permitting
   the exchange of drivers licenses from certain countries
 
   THE  PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
 BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
 
   Section 1. Section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law  is  amended  by
 adding a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
   1-A.  LICENSE EXCHANGE FOR CERTAIN COUNTRIES.  (A) NOTWITHSTANDING ANY
 PROVISIONS OF THIS SECTION, THE COMMISSIONER SHALL ACCEPT AS  VALID  FOR
 PURPOSES  OF  IDENTIFICATION,  AGE  AND  EXAMINATION  A DRIVER'S LICENSE
 ISSUED FROM A COUNTRY LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION  AND
 SHALL  ISSUE A LICENSE TO DRIVE IN THIS STATE TO AN INDIVIDUAL HOLDING A
 LICENSE DESCRIBED IN PARAGRAPH (C) OF THIS SUBDIVISION, PROVIDED  HOWEV-
 ER,  THE  INDIVIDUAL SHALL BE SUBJECT TO THE WRITTEN EXAMINATION AND THE
 VISION TEST REQUIRED BY SUBDIVISION FOUR OF THIS SECTION.
   (B) A DRIVERS LICENSE ISSUED BY THE FOLLOWING COUNTRIES OR TERRITORIES
 SHALL BE VALID FOR  PURPOSES  OF  PARAGRAPH  (A)  OF  THIS  SUBDIVISION:
 ANGUILLA,  ANTIGUA AND BARBUDA, ARUBA, BAHAMAS, BARBADOS, BONAIRE, BRIT-
 ISH VIRGIN ISLANDS, CAYMAN ISLANDS, CUBA, CURACAO,  DOMINICA,  DOMINICAN
 REPUBLIC, GRENADA, GUADELOUPE, GUYANA, HAITI, JAMAICA, MARTINIQUE, MONT-
 SERRAT,  PUERTO  RICO,  SABA,  SAINT  BARTHELEMY, SAINT KITTS AND NEVIS,
 SAINT LUCIA, SAINT MARTIN, SAINT VINCENT AND THE GRENADINES, SINT EUSTA-
 TIUS, SINT MAARTEN, TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO, TURKS AND CAICOS  ISLANDS,  AND
 THE VIRGIN ISLANDS OF THE UNITED STATES.
   (C)  A  LICENSE  ISSUED  BY  A COUNTRY LISTED IN PARAGRAPH (B) OF THIS
 SUBDIVISION SHALL BE ACCEPTED FOR  EXCHANGE  IF  IT:  IS  VALID  OR  HAS
 EXPIRED  WITHIN  THE  PAST SIX MONTHS; STATES THE DATE UPON WHICH IT WAS
 ISSUED AND IT WAS ISSUED A MINIMUM OF SIX MONTHS PRIOR TO  THE  DATE  OF
 THE APPLICATION; AND IS NOT SUSPENDED, REVOKED, LOST OR STOLEN.
   § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
 
  EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                       [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                            LBD06056-01-5

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