BILL NUMBER: S5487
SPONSOR: COMRIE
 
TITLE OF BILL:
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
 
PURPOSE:
The purpose of this bill is to allow for the acceptance of a valid
marriage certificate issued by a foreign government, or a bona fide
religious institution that issues certificates of marriage in a foreign
country acceptable forms when an individual seeks to change their name
to their married name on a driver's license, learner's permit, or
nondriver ID card.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 of this bill would amend section 502 of the Vehicle and Traf-
fic Law by adding a new subdivision 1-a to allow in addition to other
acceptable documents for changing a person's name on a driver's license,
a valid certificate of marriage from the government of a foreign country
or from a bona fide religious institution that issues certificates of
marriage in a foreign country.
Section 2 of this bill would amend Section 502 of the Vehicle and Traf-
fic Law by adding a new subdivision 3-a to add to already acceptable
documentation on a learner's permit, a valid marriage certificate from
the government of a foreign country or from a bona fide religious insti-
tutions that issues certificates of marriage in a foreign country.
Section 3 of this bill would add a new subdivision 2-a to Section 490 of
the Vehicle and Traffic Law to allow the Commissioner to accept a valid
certificate of marriage from the government of a foreign country or from
a bona fide religious institution that issues certificates of marriage
in a foreign country.
Section 4 of this bill provides that the effective date shall take
effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have become a law.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Throughout this world, there are countries that have disparate views on
the performance of weddings as either a civil or a religious ceremony.
Some countries require a wedding to be performed as a civic ceremony so
that the government can "legalize" the wedding; other countries take the
opposite approach and leave marriage up to the religious institutions
that are within that Country, while many countries accept both options.
While the State views these marriages as legal for the purpose of the
relationship between spouses, the New York State DMV currently does not
accept a religious marriage certificate as a means to allow for a name
change on a New York Driver's License, Learner's Permit, or Non Driver
ID. This bill seeks to ensure that both foreign civil and religious
marriage licenses can be considered acceptable in the views of the DMV
when it comes to a name change.
 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2023-24: S.4055 (Mannion)- Referred to Transportation.
2021-22: S.119-A (Kaplan) - Referred to Transportation.
2019-20: S.7239 (Kaplan) - Referred to Transportation.
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall have
become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or
repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of
this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed
on or before such date.

Statutes affected:
S5487: 502 vehicle and traffic law, 490 vehicle and traffic law