Department of Motor Vehicles

June 22, 2015  

DMV REMINDS COMMERCIAL DRIVERS OF NEW FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
Effective June 18, as Required by Federal Law, All Commercial Driver License and Permit Holders in NYS will Need Proof of Legal Presence in the United States

The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) today reminded commercial drivers across New York State that effective June 18, 2015, all Commercial Learner Permit (CLP) and Commercial Driver License (CDL) holders in New York State need to provide proof of U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residence or temporary legal presence, and proof of New York State residency upon renewal of a driver license as well as all non-duplicate CLP/CDL transactions.  Because these new regulations from the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration require submission of additional proofs of identification in person, current commercial drivers can no longer renew their permits and licenses by mail and must appear in person at a DMV office.

“We’ve been working with industry and our partners at the state and federal levels to roll out these and other new federal requirements for commercial drivers as smoothly as possible,” said DMV Deputy Commissioner Tim Lennon.  “Commercial drivers are extremely important to New York’s economy and we are working every day to ensure that our state is in full compliance with these federal regulations.”

If you are a New York State license holder and you are applying for, renewing or amending a CLP or CDL license, under these new federal regulations you must provide:

• Proof of U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or temporary legal presence; and
• Six points of proof of name; and 
• One proof of NYS residence; and

If you are a first time applicant for a New York State CDL who holds a valid CDL in another state, you must provide:

• Proof of U.S. citizenship, lawful permanent residency, or temporary legal presence; and
• Proof of date of birth; and
• Six points of proof of name; and
• One proof of NYS residence; and
• Your original Social Security Card

Acceptable proofs of identification can be found in the DMV Document Guide.

CLP and CDL holders in New York State must provide original documents, or documents certified by the agency that issued them. 

DMV began implementing the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s amended commercial driver license standards in April 2015 and will complete carrying out these regulations in July 2015.  These regulations include changes to CDL skills testing, suspension and revocation screenings, medical certifications, endorsements and restrictions, identification and documentation changes, and an expansion of employer responsibilities. 

###