Griffo- Our Driver’s Licenses Are About to Become Invalid
Your standard New York State Driver's license is about to become invalid as a federal form of identification, according to State Senator Joseph Griffo. New federal standards detailed in the Real ID Act from 2005 will go into effect on January 1st, and the standard NY license won't make the cut.
Griffo says the current NY license won't meet federal standards and that will pose a huge problem for travelers trying to board airplanes.
If everything goes forward as planned, New Yorkers will not be able to use their standard driver's license. Instead, they'll have to bring a passport, birth certificate or New York's new more expensive enhanced license. The enhanced license allows New Yorkers to enter Canada, Mexico and some parts of the Caribbean and costs an additional $30.
People don't realize that is is happening soon
Senator Griffo has co-sponsored a bill that would require the Cuomo administration to make New York's licenses compliant with federal standards without charging the additional fees.
"People don't realize that is is happening soon," said Griffo. "These are major significant changes and the DMV has not informed the public. I don't want someone showing up to an airport and finding out they can't fly," he added.
New York DMV officials told the Democrat and Chronicle that they've asked the federal government for a one-year extension.
“We have submitted a request for an extension to the Real ID Act and our discussions with the Department of Homeland Security have been very productive,” Casey McNulty, a state DMV spokeswoman said. “We have no reason to believe that any New Yorker will have a problem using their current state-issued ID card to get on a plane come January 2016.” - Democrat and Chronicle
47 states across the country have updated their standard licenses to meet federal standards and New York is only one of the four that has failed to do so, according to the report.
Senator Griffo will discuss his bill and exactly what to expect on First News with Keeler on Monday at 8:45 a.m..
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