2019 New York Laws
VAT - Vehicle and Traffic
Title 5 - Drivers' Licenses
Article 19 - Licensing of Drivers
504 - Form of License.

§ 504. Form  of license. 1. (a) Every license or renewal thereof shall
contain  a  distinguishing  mark  and  adequate  space  upon  which   an
anatomical  gift,  pursuant  to  section  forty-three hundred ten of the
public health law, by the licensee shall be recorded and  shall  contain
such  other  information  and  shall  be  issued  in  such  form  as the
commissioner  shall  determine;  provided,  however,  every  license  or
renewal  thereof  issued  to  a person under the age of twenty-one years
shall have prominently imprinted upon it the statement "UNDER  21  YEARS
OF  AGE"  in  notably  distinctive  print  or  format; provided further,
however, every license or renewal thereof issued to a person  making  an
anatomical  gift  shall  have prominently printed upon the front of such
license or renewal  thereof  the  statement  "ORGAN  DONOR"  in  notably
distinctive print or format. The commissioner shall not require fees for
the  issuance  of  such  licenses  or  renewals thereof to persons under
twenty-one years of age or to persons making an  anatomical  gift  which
are  different  from  the  fees required for the issuance of licenses or
renewals thereof to persons twenty-one  years  of  age  or  over  or  to
persons not making an anatomical gift.
  * (a-1)  Every  license  or renewal thereof issued to an applicant who
was a member of the armed forces of the United States  and  received  an
honorable discharge or was released therefrom under honorable conditions
shall,  upon  his  or  her  request and submission of proof as set forth
herein, contain a distinguishing mark, in such form as the  commissioner
shall  determine,  indicating  that  he  or she is a veteran. Such proof
shall consist of a certificate of release or discharge from active  duty
including  but  not limited to a DD Form 214 or other proof satisfactory
to the commissioner. The commissioner shall not  require  fees  for  the
issuance  of  such  licenses or renewals thereof to persons requesting a
veteran distinguishing mark which  are  different  from  fees  otherwise
required; provided, however, that notwithstanding the provisions of this
section,  the  commissioner  shall not require fees for a duplication or
amendment of a license prior to  its  renewal  if  such  duplication  or
amendment  was solely for the purpose of adding a veteran distinguishing
mark to such license.
  * NB Effective until November 12, 2020
  * (a-1) Every license or renewal thereof issued to  an  applicant  who
was  a  member  of  the  armed  forces  of the United States and who (i)
received  an  honorable  discharge  or  was  released  therefrom   under
honorable  conditions, or (ii) has a qualifying condition, as defined in
section three hundred fifty of the executive law,  and  has  received  a
discharge  other  than bad conduct or dishonorable from such service, or
(iii) is a discharged LGBT veteran, as defined in section three  hundred
fifty  of the executive law, and has received a discharge other than bad
conduct or dishonorable from  such  service,  shall,  upon  his  or  her
request  and  submission  of  proof  as  set  forth  herein,  contain  a
distinguishing mark, in such form as the commissioner  shall  determine,
indicating  that  he  or she is a veteran. Such proof shall consist of a
certificate of release or discharge from active duty including  but  not
limited   to   a  DD  Form  214  or  other  proof  satisfactory  to  the
commissioner. The commissioner shall not require fees for  the  issuance
of  such  licenses  or  renewals thereof to persons requesting a veteran
distinguishing mark which are different from  fees  otherwise  required;
provided,  however, that notwithstanding the provisions of this section,
the commissioner shall not require fees for a duplication  or  amendment
of  a  license prior to its renewal if such duplication or amendment was
solely for the purpose of adding a veteran distinguishing mark  to  such
license.
  * NB Effective November 12, 2020
  (b)  The  commissioner  may  by regulation provide that every driver's
license contain the photo image of the licensee.  The  learner's  permit
may   also  contain  the  photo  image  of  the  permittee  pursuant  to
regulations established by the commissioner.
  2.  Whenever  an  applicant  for  a  license  has successfully met the
requirements for the issuance of a license, the license  issued  by  the
commissioner  may  be a temporary license which shall be valid until the
license provided in subdivision one of this section is issued  or  until
forty-five  days  from  the  date  such  temporary  license  is  issued,
whichever occurs first. The commissioner may in  his  discretion  extend
the period of validity of such temporary license. Such temporary license
shall be in such form as the commissioner shall determine.
  3.  Notwithstanding  any other provision of law, any photo image taken
as part of the application  procedure  for  a  learner's  permit  or  an
original,  duplicate, renewal or amended driver's license shall not be a
public record.