Department of Motor Vehicles

NYS DMV Insurance Information & Enforcement System (IIES)
Important Information

March 11, 2019

NYS INSURANCE ID CARD REJECTIONS

I issued an insurance ID card and it was rejected in a DMV office. What am I doing wrong?

Answer: There are several reasons why an insurance ID card may be rejected.

Some common reasons for rejection include:

• Incorrect type of insurance ID card was issued
• Invalid effective date or VIN
• Insured name printed on the insurance ID card does not match the name listed on the registration (refer to Name Formatting)
• Barcode error

How do I help ensure that ID cards are accepted by DMV and Insurance Company EDI transactions are matched to the IIES database?

Answer: Determine whether the vehicles are already registered in NYS. If so, capture all the current NYS registration names including registration name variations. These registrant names must be captured as insured/additional insured names on a policy and reviewed with your insured prior to generating an insurance ID card.

If the vehicle is not currently registered in NYS, verify how your insured will register the vehicle. 

BARCODE RELATED REJECTIONS

Listed below are some error messages related to the encrypted bar code that might cause the registrant's ID card to not to be accepted by DMV:

INVALID ISSUER STATUS

Possible reasons: Check the Date on your PC. If the clock on your PC is off by months or years it could make the DMV's database think you issued a card before you obtained your encryption key. You might have issued a card while your status was not valid.

SIGNATURE AUTHENTICATION ERROR

Possible reasons:

You may have obtained a new key from the New York State Department of Financial Services but did not data enter the new key into ALL copies of IDCardGen on each computer. Every time you get a new key you MUST enter it into the IDCardGen via: Options|Setup|Key maintenance or the Setup button on the logon screen.

OR

You received a new key from the Department of Financial Services and created an insurance ID card which was presented to DMV within an hour of the key being issued. After a new key is issued, please allow one hour for the Department of Financial Services to send DMV the information and for DMV to update their records.

NAME FORMATTING QUESTIONS

The easiest way to ensure name compatibility including name formatting is to obtain the name from the NYS registration receipt(s).

INDIVIDUAL NAMES

What do I do if an individual name does not fit in the individual name fields provided in the IDCardGen?

Answer: You can abbreviate part of a name by removing right-most vowels starting with the right-most name component until the name fits. You should also remove any hyphens if they are preventing the last name from fitting before removing vowels.

The goal is to achieve name compatibility between the registrant name and the insured name that has long been required by NYS law.

• Compatibility of names when policies and ID cards are being issued will help ensure that electronic insurance transactions submitted to DMV by insurers will be matched to a record.
• Matching requires compatibility of VIN and at least one other data element. If direct matching does not occur based on VIN and an individual's NYS driver's license number or organization's federal tax number, then name is used.
• Direct matching requires an exact match on VIN and first three letters of the name, examples:
  •  Individual name of SMITHSON,JOHN,R- First 3 letter SMI
  •  Organization name of MOHAWK;VALLEY;CORP.- First 3 letters MOH
• If there is as little as a one character discrepancy in VIN then DMV attempts to find a single VIN with 70% compatibility in the DMV system via an electronic process that attempts "exceptions resolution matching" using the insurer submitted VIN and 5-3-1 of name, example:
  • SMITH-JOH-R from SMITHSON,JOHN,R
• Accordingly, please do not perform any name editing that would inhibit direct matching or exceptions resolution matching.

I have a registrant with two middle names. How do I enter it?

Answer: You may enter two middle names in the middle name field by separating them with a comma.

NYS DMV Registrant name entry is limited to:

• 20-character individual names; and
• 40-character corporation names (separated on two lines).

Some individual name editing scenarios and the proper Insurance ID Card name results are provided in the examples below:

First Names

Spell out the first name if an abbreviation is used.

Example:  Wm. A. Smith
Insurance Card Name: SMITH,WILLIAM,A

If the applicant does not have a first name, enter NFN (no first name) in place of the first name.

Example: Sunshine
Insurance Card Name: SUNSHINE,NFN

Long Names:

For long names such as in the examples below, the IDCardGen software will edit the last name and initial of the first name followed by the designation to arrive at the insured name on the ID card.

Example: John A. VanAllistyne Jr.
Insurance Card Name: VANALLISTYNE,J,A,JR

Example: Catherine A. Schermerhorn
Insurance Card Name: SCHERMERHORN,C,A

Suffix:

Designations such as Jr., Sr., 2nd, 3rd, etc., following the name should appear after the middle initial or after the first name if there is no middle initial.

Example: Peter A Jones Jr.
Insurance Card Name:  JONES,PETER,A,JR

Example: Peter Andrew Jones 3rd
Insurance Card Name:  JONES,PETER,A,III

• Roman Numerals are used for designations such as 2nd, 3rd, etc.
• Omit titles such as Mr., Mrs., Miss, Ms., Rev., Rabbi, Cantor Hon., Father, Doctor, Sister, Brother.

Hyphenated Last Names

A hyphenated last name is edited to include the hyphen. If the hyphenated last name is too long to permit the editing of the first name, omit the hyphen.

Example: Robinson-Duff, Ann
Insurance Card Name: ROBINSON-DUFF,ANN

Example: Robinson-Duff, Maryann
Insurance Card Name: ROBINSONDUFF,MARYANN

Prefixes

Omit the space or apostrophe after the prefixes such as " Mc", "Mac", "D", and "O" or between connecting words such as "Van", "Da", "El", " Della", etc.

Example Last Name: O'Brien
Insurance Card Last Name: OBRIEN

Example Last Name: Van Der Hoop
Insurance Card Last Name: VANDERHOOP

ORGANIZATION NAMES

When I print an organizational card, semi-colons appear where I entered spaces. Is this a bug?

Answer: No. Semi-colons print between each organization name component because that is exactly how DMV issues organizational registrations. Organization names with semi-colons are differentiated from individual names with components separated by commas. NYS Title and Registration receipt documents print organizational and individual names in this same fashion. Insurance ID cards print names the same way for consistency and to enhance name matching of electronic transactions submitted to DMV.

Why am I only allowed two 20-character lines to enter an organizational name? How do I make the name fit?

Answer: Only two 20-character lines are available whenissuing a NYS registration in an organizational name, therefore the IDCardGen software is formatted the same with the two 20-character lines. When entering organizational names you must separate name components with a space. The IDCardGen software automatically replaces spaces with semi-colons when the ID card prints. You may abbreviate the name by removing vowels.

• NYS Registrations and NYS Insurance ID Cards are abbreviated to two 20 character lines for organization names. 
• If the organization name extends past the first 20 character line, the name will wrap automatically to the second 20 character line.
• If the name exceeds the second 20 character line, it is abbreviated from right to left, by omitting vowels.
• The first 3 characters of the organization / corporate name must match the electronic filing submitted by the insurance company.
• If the electronic filing does not match the name on the record; the filing may be rejected, thus causing a letter or suspension to be issued. For example A;B;C;CORP is not the same as ABC;CORP.

Some tips:

The editing of an owner name other than for an individual is limited to 40 spaces. If the name exceeds 20 spaces and will be written on 2 lines, make a logical separation of the name.  

• Omit "the" and "of" in a name if spaces are needed.
• Use a semicolon (;) to indicate a space.
• Use an ampersand (&) for "and." 
• Do not begin or end a line with an ampersand (&).  Do not precede or follow an ampersand (&) with a space.
• Use a percent sign (%) to indicate "in care of".
• Write numbers in numeric characters when they are the first or last word in a name.

Several organizational name-editing scenarios and the proper Insurance ID Card name results are provided in the examples below:

Example: John Jacob Astor Inc. edit as JOHN JACOB ASTOR INC
Insurance Card Name: JOHN;JACOB;ASTOR;INC

Example: American Machinery And Foundry edit as AMERICAN MACHINERY AND FOUNDRY
Insurance Card Name: AMERICAN;MACHINERY
                                        AND;FOUNDRY

When the word Saint or ST. is part of a company name, DO NOT ABBREVIATE.  Spell out the full word.

Example: Saint Claire's Hospital edit as SAINT CLAIRES HOSPITAL
Insurance Card Name: SAINT;CLAIRES
                                        HOSPITAL

Do not space or type periods between initials in corporate names.

Example: B.F. Goodrich Inc. edit as BF GOODRICH INC
Insurance Card Name: BF;GOODRICH;INC

Example: C.R. & W.J. Sutherland Inc. edit as CR&WJ SUTHERLAND INC 
Insurance Card Name: CR&WJ;SUTHERLAND;INC 

Use INC, CO, CORP, DIV as applicable.

Specific locations:

Example: Saint Lawrence Seaway Authority edit as SAINT LAWRENCE SEAWAY AUTHORITY
Insurance Card Name: SAINT;LAWRENCE
                                        SEAWAY;AUTHORITY

DBA (Doing Business As) Name:

ID cards must be issued in the full DBA name. They must include the trade name and the individual/organization name. The DBA is treated as an organization and encompasses the same organizational name editing rules.

Example: John Smith, DBA Smith Trucking edit as JOHN SMITH DBA SMITH TRUCKING
Insurance Card Name: JOHN;SMITH;DBA;SMITH
                                        TRUCKING

A Division of Company or Corporation:

Enter the name of the parent organization first, followed by the division.

Example: Linde Division of Union Carbide Corporation edit as UNION CARBIDE CORP LINDE DIV
Insurance Card Name: UNION;CARBIDE;CORP
                                         LINDE;DIV

How do I enter Trusts and Trustees?

Answer: Trusts must be edited as an organization name for ID Cards. ID cards for trusts require special editing to meet legal requirements and to fit in the available space.

Individual-Michael Motorist:

Example 1 edit as: MICHAEL MOTORIST/TST
Insurance Card Name: MICHAEL;MOTORIST/TST

Example 1 edit as: %MICHAEL MOTORST/STL
Insurance Card Name: %MICHAEL;MOTORST/STL

Example 2 edit as: MICHAEL MOTORIST/TST
Insurance Card Name: MICHAEL;MOTORIST/TST

Example 2 edit as: %MICHAEL MOTORIST/TR
Insurance Card Name: %MICHAEL;MOTORIST/TR

Two individuals - Michael and Constance Motorist:

Example edit as: M&C MOTORIST/TST
Insurance Card Name: M&C;MOTORIST/TST

Example edit as: %M&C MOTORIST/STL (or /TR)
Insurance Card Name: %M&C MOTORIST/STL (or /TR)

• TST= Trust
• STL= Settlor (Grantor or Trustor) 
• TR= Trustee

GENERAL DATA ENTRY FAQ's

My company's ICC code in not listed in the ICC code drop down box or my company's name has changed and is not correct in the IDCardGen software. When will there be an update to this?

Answer: Users have the ability to add, delete or change the name of any company. After logon, click on the "Options" menu item, and then select "Setup". The very first tab you see is the "ICC Entry" tab. Enter the 3-digit ICC code and insurance company name, and press "Add Issuer". Next click OK and the new or corrected ICC and name entry appears in the ICC code dropdown list box under the Insurance tab.

We issue ID Cards under two different agencies from one PC. When I log on and print a card it has my name and address in the upper left side of the document. When another agent logs in and prints a card it still has my name and address on the upper left of the card. How do we allow the printing of multiple agencies?

Answer: IDCardGen was designed to print cards for a single agency at a single location. No matter which Issuer logs in, it will always print the agency name and address that you entered the very first time you set up the program. If you wish to change this name and address you can select the "Options" menu item, then select "Setup". Next select the "Agency Info" tab and correct the information. If you want to be able to print ID Cards using multiple agency names and addresses it is suggested that you install a separate copy of IDCardGen on your PC for each agency. Be careful not to choose the same location each time you install it or it will just overwrite itself. The destination path may be altered by choosing a 'custom' install. The alternative to this would be to install the software on a different PC with the second issuer name.

We have to issue ID Cards for NY Dealer plates. These ID Cards don't have a year, make or VIN. They simply read "Dealer-Garage Auto Liability Policy". Does IDCardGen allow printing of this notation?

Answer: Yes. There are three 3-digit non-vehicle specific codes related to Dealer and Transporter plates that you can enter into the Year field, in the IDCardGen, which will print the following notations:

AON

Prints "All Owned & Non-Owned Vehicles - Comprehensive Auto Liability Policy". Only acceptable for dealer registration classes. Cannot be used with the FS-21 or the FH insurance ID cards.

DGP

Prints "Dealer-Garage Auto Liability Policy". Only acceptable for dealer registration classes. Cannot be used with the FS-21 or the FH insurance ID cards.

ALP

Prints "Auto Liability Policy". Only acceptable for the transporter registration class. Cannot be used with the FS-21 or the FH insurance ID cards.

Enter one of these codes in the vehicle year field. No additional entry on the vehicle tab is required.

What are these 3-digit codes in the vehicle Year drop down box?

Answer: Those are the special codes used to issue non-vehicle specific ID cards. Please see the above answer for more detail. NOTE: the 4th non-vehicle specific code that can be used for fleet ID cards is:

AOV

Prints "All Owned Vehicles" 
Requires 5 or more motor vehicles registered in NYS (non-for hire) 
Requires 10 or more for hire (FH) vehicles registered in NYS

STREET ADDRESS

I'm only provided with 20 characters for street address. How do I fit longer addresses in to the space provided?

Answer: Abbreviate part of a street name by removing right-most vowels until the street name fits. Additional detailed address editing information and examples are provided below.

• The address field should be used for a street address or for other information that designates a mailing or residence location within a town or city.  
• Twenty characters are allowed for street information.  
• Spaces count as a character.
• Use standard abbreviations when possible. (ST, AV, RD, DR, etc). 
• Edit the street number to numerals when the number is spelled out alphabetically. If the street address is still over 20 characters: 
  1. Eliminate unnecessary parts of the street name (if possible).
  2. Eliminate vowels in STREET NAME from RIGHT to LEFT.

The Basic Street Address Format

Street Number (space) Street Name (space) Street Type.

Abbreviating an Address to Fit the Street Field

If the address is too long for the address field (more than 20 spaces), omit the street type first.

Example:  16497 Metropolitan Street 
EDIT AS: 16497 METROPOLITAN

If the street name is still too long, remove vowels starting from the last letter of the street name.  If the name ends in 2 vowels, start omitting vowels from the last consonant.

Example:  14040 W Humphreysville Road
EDIT AS: 14040 W HUMPHREYSVLL

If the street name is a word which has an accepted abbreviation (e.g. the name of the state), use that abbreviation.

Example: 1575 Massachusetts Avenue
EDIT AS: 1575 MASS AV

Numbers

If the house number is hyphenated, use the hyphen.

Example: 102-03 Pennsylvania Avenue
EDIT AS: 102-03 PENN AV

Street Types

* Do not abbreviate any of the street types if they are used as the actual street name.

Street Prefixes

EDIT AS: FT WASHINGTON ST
                  ST SIMON BLV

* Do not abbreviate these words if they are used as the actual street name.

EDIT AS: FORT ST
                  POINT CIR

Apartment and Room

Abbreviate apartment as APT, AP, or A (as space permits) and place it after the address.  Use a space between the street address and the apartment abbreviation, but do not space between the apartment abbreviation and the apartment number.

EDIT AS: 123 MARSHALL ST A12
                  250 MAIN ST APT6

Abbreviate room as RM.  Use RM the same as you use APT.

Directions

North, South, East, West edit as N, S, E, and W except when the direction is the name of the street.

Example: West Avenue
EDIT AS: WEST AVE

Route Number / Rural Route

When editing rural route addresses, all RD, RT and RR addresses must show a road name or number. Always edit RD first, RT second, then the box, then the street or road. If it will not fit, omit street or road.  

Example: Route 89, Box 123
EDIT AS: RT 89 BX 123

Example: RFD 2 Box 245 Sunflow Rd
EDIT AS: RD 2 BX 245 SUNFLOW

Example: Rural Route 26
EDIT AS: RR 26

Example: RD5 Box 2 County Farm Road
EDIT AS: RD5 BX2 CNTY FRM RD

Include the street name whenever possible with rural route addresses.

EDIT AS: RD5 COUNTY FARM ROAD
                 RT4 BX38 GROOMS RD

It is not necessary to leave a space before the numbers of the route or box.

EDIT AS: RD5
                 BX29

Post Office Box

Be sure to enter a space between PO or POB and the box number.

Example: P.O. Box 555
EDIT AS: PO BX 555

"In Care Of"

Edit "In Care Of" (c/o) as %.  If a street address plus a building or company name are given, put the street address first followed by the "in care of".  If all the information will not fit in the spaces, omit the "in care of" information.

Example: 10 Fifth Avenue, in care of the Gray Hotel
EDIT AS: 10 5 AV %GRAY HOTEL

Example: 10 Rensselaer Blvd in care of the Arrow Company
EDIT AS: 10 RENSSELAER BLV

If the "In care of" is a person's name, put the street address first, followed by % and the last name of the "in care of" person.

Example: 124 Fifth Avenue c/o John Doe
EDIT AS: 124 5TH AV %DOE

MISCELLANEOUS

Would it be possible to install IDCardGen on a server once, and then have all other PCs on the network run the program from that single location?

Answer: Yes. Here are the instructions:

1. Log on to the server that you would like to store IDCardGen on.
2. Install the program from the setup file that can be downloaded from the NYS Insurance Department's web site http://www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/iies/html/iies2.htm
3. An icon should now appear on the desktop. Double click on it, hit setup and enter an agent's issuer ID and key.
4. Try logging on to the application and make sure everything works.
5. Using windows explorer, navigate to the location that you just installed the program in.
6. Right click on the InsuranceCardGen.exe file and choose 'Create Shortcut'.
7. A new shortcut should now exist. Copy this shortcut to the desktop of every PC that is connected to the server that is going to be used to issue ID cards.

Do I need special paper to print these new bar-coded ID Cards?

Answer: Each ID card shall consist of at least two identical parts, 5 inches through 8 ½ inches in width by 3 inches to 5 ½ inches in height, printed on stock not lighter than 20–pound white bond, and shall bear the title "NEW YORK STATE INSURANCE IDENTIFICATION CARD" and the form numbers prescribed by this Part. Minimum size: 3" X 5 ". Maximum size: 5 ½" X 8 ½". ID cards shall be computer issued. Portions of the required information, such as the legally required statements, may be pre-printed. ID cards shall contain the compliant encrypted 2D bar code security feature produced in full accordance with the specifications prescribed by this Part and DMV technical documentation.

If a customer is purchasing a new vehicle and the Dealer is registering the vehicle for the customer, can the Dealer use a faxed copy of the new 2D bar-coded ID Card or does the DMV require and original 2D card.

Answer: Yes. If the bar code card is readable (the large "faxable one" on the 8 ½" X 11" sheet under the "two-up" printed ID cards) after faxing. The quality of the two fax machines can be an issue. E-mailing rather than faxing is recommended.

LOADING/SAVING

Is there a way I can save an ID card so I can pull it back up and change some of the information at a later date?

Answer: Yes. As of version 1.2 you are now able to load and save ID cards. These files will be stored XML format, which should make it easy for other programs to read and understand the data. You may access these features under the 'File' menu.

What is this batch processing feature?

Answer: The batch process feature is mainly meant for advanced users who wish to export their policy data from their agency management systems or mainframe and package and import and process it using the IDCardGen software. Please see the Batch Processing section in the help file for more information on how to use this feature.