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August 19, 2024

As Real ID Deadline Looms, DMV Offers ID Upgrades during the Great New York State Fair

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As Real ID Deadline Looms, DMV Offers ID Upgrades during the Great New York State Fair
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DMV Mobile Office Offers Customers Online Transactions, Eye Tests and Opportunity to Upgrade to a REAL ID or Enhanced ID

REAL ID-Compliant ID Will Be Required to Fly Within U.S. Starting May 7, 2025

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today announced that visitors to the 2024 Great New York State Fair in Syracuse can visit DMV’s mobile office to upgrade their license, permit or non-driver ID to a REAL ID or Enhanced ID during the Fair. The DMV mobile office will be in the Center of Progress Building on the New York State Fairgrounds. Transactions will only be available August 21 to 29 from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., but the DMV mobile office will be open the entire run of the Fair, from August 21 through Labor Day, September 2.

Fairgoers can learn about the New York State Fair license plate and the more than 200 other custom plates available, take an eye test, and get assistance with more than 70 DMV online transactions including the learner permit test. In addition, DMV staff will be available to assist customers with scheduling an office reservation or road test. 

“It’s always a pleasure and an honor to come back to the Great New York State Fair, the Empire State’s largest annual event and the country’s longest-running state fair,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “We are delighted to continue our tradition of offering our customers information about our services and giving them a convenient way to conduct their DMV business while they are there.”

State Fair Director Julie LaFave said, “The Fair offers so much more than the opportunity to experience world-class entertainment, discover delicious culinary creations, and learn all about New York’s vibrant agricultural industry; it also provides New Yorkers with convenient access to critical services. If you’re coming to The Fair this year and haven’t had a chance to upgrade your license to a REAL ID or Enhanced ID or need to take care of any number of DMV transactions online, we encourage you to stop by the Department of Motor Vehicles booth inside the Center of Progress Building.”  

New Yorkers who want to complete a REAL ID or Enhanced ID upgrade during the Fair will need to bring their application, proof of identity and proofs of residency to the Fair.  To help them prepare, customers can use the DMV’s REAL ID document guide that explains exactly what documents they will need to bring and creates an individualized checklist of all the documents.

New Yorkers who opt to visit select DMV brick and mortar offices can now save time by getting their application for a REAL ID or Enhanced License pre-screened to determine whether they have everything they need to successfully complete their transaction. This option is available at select offices across the state, including the DMV’s Syracuse and North Syracuse locations. 

After pre-screening, customers will receive an email with instructions to fix any errors and to explain next steps. Once an application is approved, DMV will alert the customer to schedule their in-person visit at a participating office location on a date and time that is convenient for them.

Beginning May 7, 2025, everyone flying in the U.S. will need a REAL ID, Enhanced ID or another form of federally accepted identification such as a Passport to board a plane.

For more information about DMV, visit the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website, or follow the DMV conversation online at FacebookX and Instagram.

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