What Is The NY Green Light Law: Everything You Need To Know

The queues are longer than usual at New York offices of the Department of Motor Vehicles offices on Monday. However, most of the people lining up to obtain their driver’s licenses are okay with the long wait as they are taking advantage of the NY Green Light Law, which recently took effect.

Even with the cold winter weather, undocumented immigrants patiently waited for hours for their turn. One such immigrant is Ivan Blanco who showed up at 8 a.m. at the Flushing, Queens office of the DMV.

Seven hours later, he is about to obtain his own driver’s license. The Green Light Law allows New York residents over 16 years of age to apply for a non-federal license despite their legal status or citizenship, NY Daily News reported.

Blanco did not mind the rather long wait because in the end, it will finally allow him to drive legally. “I thank God for his help today,” the 57-year-old construction worker, who hails from Colombia, told NY Daily News.

For Blanco, the advantages of having a license greatly outweighs the hours he spent queuing. “You can take your kids to school,” he added. “You can drive to work. You can keep your family more relaxed.”

Carlos Garcia, another undocumented immigrant, was not even let into the DMV office as it was already closing up before his turn arrived. However, he wasn’t discouraged at all and even planned to come back the following day.

“I’m going to come back tomorrow,” Garcia said. “I really need it. As soon as I get the license and the permit, I’m going to get the car, and I can drive and can work.”

As stated on the DMV website, a Social Security card is no longer needed when applying for a license. However, the agency stated that applicants still need to submit a combination of documents to prove their name, date of birth and New York State residency.

Some of the documents listed on the site include unexpired foreign passport, unexpired consular identification document, or unexpired foreign driver license that includes the applicant’s photo. Foreign birth certificate, unexpired Permanent Resident Card, Employment Authorization Card, Border Crossing Card, and U.S. Municipal ID Card may also be presented upon application.

DMV also wrote that passing relevant documents will automatically mean a driver’s license. The agency reminded that applicants still need to pass the require tests to get their permits.

“The Green Light Law will improve the safety of New York’s roads, provide a new revenue stream for the state and help keep families together,” said New York immigration manager Eddie Taveras.

More importantly, the passing of the Green Light Law underscores a very important message as well. “But it also sends an important message, underscoring the fact that New York is — and always has been — a state of immigrants, leading the way on tolerance and inclusivity for the nation and the world,” Taveras added.

But there are those who strongly oppose the Green Light Law such as assembly minority leader Brian M. Kolb. “Driving is a privilege, not a right,” Kolb said in a press release.