STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
2379
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 16, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. MATTERA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Transportation
AN ACT to amend the vehicle and traffic law, in relation to requiring
that driver's licenses indicate the blood type of the licensee upon
the licensee's request
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subdivision 1 of section 504 of the vehicle and traffic law
2 is amended by adding a new paragraph (c) to read as follows:
3 (c) The commissioner shall by regulation provide that every driver's
4 license or renewal thereof contain a distinguishing mark and adequate
5 space upon which the blood type of the licensee may be imprinted upon
6 the licensee's request. The learner's permit may also contain the blood
7 type of the permittee upon request of the permitee pursuant to regu-
8 lations established by the commissioner.
9 § 2. Subdivision 1 of section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law, as
10 separately amended by chapters 158 and 440 of the laws of 2021, is
11 amended to read as follows:
12 1. Application for license. Application for a driver's license shall
13 be made to the commissioner. The fee prescribed by law may be submitted
14 with such application. The applicant shall furnish such proof of identi-
15 ty, age, and fitness as may be required by the commissioner. With
16 respect to a non-commercial driver's license or learner's permit which
17 does not meet federal standards for identification, in addition to the
18 acceptable proofs of age and identity approved by the commissioner as of
19 January first, two thousand nineteen, acceptable proof of identity shall
20 also include, but not be limited to, a valid, unexpired foreign passport
21 issued by the applicant's country of citizenship (which shall also be
22 eligible as proof of age), a valid, unexpired consular identification
23 document issued by a consulate from the applicant's country of citizen-
24 ship, or a valid foreign driver's license that includes a photo image of
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD06418-01-5
S. 2379 2
1 the applicant and which is unexpired or expired for less than twenty-
2 four months of its date of expiration, as primary forms of such proof.
3 Nothing contained in this subdivision shall be deemed to preclude the
4 commissioner from approving additional proofs of identity and age. The
5 license shall display the sex designation of M, F, or X as certified by
6 the applicant, with no additional documentation required. The applicant
7 may amend the sex designation of their driver's license upon request.
8 Upon amendment of the sex designation, the change shall be made consist-
9 ent through all affiliated records within the control of the department.
10 The commissioner may also provide that the application procedure shall
11 include the taking of a photo image or images of the applicant in
12 accordance with rules and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. In
13 addition, the commissioner also shall require that the applicant provide
14 such applicant's social security number or, in lieu thereof, with
15 respect to an application for a non-commercial driver's license or
16 learner's permit which does not meet federal standards for identifica-
17 tion, an affidavit signed by such applicant that they have not been
18 issued a social security number. The commissioner shall also provide
19 space on the application so that the applicant may request a notation
20 upon such license indicating their blood type in accordance with rules
21 and regulations prescribed by the commissioner. The commissioner also
22 shall provide space on the application so that the applicant may request
23 a notation upon such license that such applicant is a veteran of the
24 United States armed forces, and space on the application so that the
25 applicant may request a notation upon such license that [he or she] such
26 applicant is a veteran of the United States armed forces, and space on
27 the application so that the applicant may register in the New York state
28 organ and tissue donor registry under section forty-three hundred ten of
29 the public health law with the following stated on the application in
30 clear and conspicuous type:
31 "You must fill out the following section: Would you like to be added
32 to the Donate Life Registry? Check box for 'yes' or 'skip this ques-
33 tion'."
34 The commissioner of health shall not maintain records of any person
35 who checks "skip this question". Except where the application is made in
36 person or electronically, failure to check a box shall not impair the
37 validity of an application, and failure to check "yes" or checking "skip
38 this question" shall not be construed to imply a wish not to donate. In
39 the case of an applicant under eighteen years of age, checking "yes"
40 shall not constitute consent to make an anatomical gift or registration
41 in the donate life registry, except as otherwise provided pursuant to
42 the provisions of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of section forty-
43 three hundred one of the public health law. Where an applicant has
44 previously consented to make an anatomical gift or registered in the
45 donate life registry, checking "skip this question" or failing to check
46 a box shall not impair that consent or registration. In addition, an
47 applicant for a commercial driver's license who will operate a commer-
48 cial motor vehicle in interstate commerce shall certify that such appli-
49 cant meets the requirements to operate a commercial motor vehicle, as
50 set forth in public law 99-570, title XII, and title 49 of the code of
51 federal regulations, and all regulations promulgated by the United
52 States secretary of transportation under the hazardous materials trans-
53 portation act. In addition, an applicant for a commercial driver's
54 license shall submit a medical certificate at such intervals as required
55 by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act of 1999 and Part
56 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations relating to
S. 2379 3
1 medical certification and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner.
2 For purposes of this section and sections five hundred three, five
3 hundred ten-a, and five hundred ten-aa of this title, the terms "medical
4 certificate" and "medical certification" shall mean a form substantially
5 in compliance with the form set forth in Part 391.43(h) of title 49 of
6 the code of federal regulations. Upon a determination that the holder of
7 a commercial driver's license has made any false statement, with respect
8 to the application for such license, the commissioner shall revoke such
9 license.
10 § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
11 it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amend-
12 ment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implemen-
13 tation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and
14 completed on or before such date.
