Allows valid certificates of marriage from foreign governments and religious institutions as acceptable documentation to change a name on a driver's license, learner's permit, or identification card.
STATE OF NEW YORK
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5487
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
February 21, 2025
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- 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 allowing
valid certificates of marriage from foreign governments and religious
institutions as acceptable documentation to change a name on the driv-
er's license or non-driver identification card
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 1-a to read as follows:
3 1-a. In addition to any other documentation acceptable to the commis-
4 sioner for the purposes of changing a person's name on a driver's
5 license pursuant to subdivision one of this section, the commissioner
6 may accept a valid certificate of marriage from the government of a
7 foreign country or from a bona fide religious institution that issues
8 certificates of marriage in a foreign country.
9 § 2. Section 502 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
10 new subdivision 3-a to read as follows:
11 3-a. In addition to any other documentation acceptable to the commis-
12 sioner for the purposes of changing a person's name on a learner's
13 permit pursuant to subdivisions two and three of this section, the
14 commissioner may accept a valid certificate of marriage from the govern-
15 ment of a foreign country or from a bona fide religious institution that
16 issues certificates of marriage in a foreign country.
17 § 3. Section 490 of the vehicle and traffic law is amended by adding a
18 new subdivision 2-a to read as follows:
19 2-a. In addition to any other documentation acceptable to the commis-
20 sioner for purposes of changing a person's name on an identification
21 card, the commissioner may accept a valid certificate of marriage from
22 the government of a foreign country or from a bona fide religious insti-
23 tution that issues certificates of marriage in a foreign country.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09695-01-5
S. 5487 2
1 § 4. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall
2 have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
3 repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
4 this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
5 on or before such date.
