§ 503 Period of validity of drivers' licenses, learners' permits and applications; required fees
VTL § 503
1.Periods of validity.
(a)A driver's license shall be valid from the date of issuance until a date of expiration determined by the commissioner. Such dates of issuance and expiration shall be noted on the license, except that if such printed expiration date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or state holiday, such license shall be valid for operation until midnight of the next day on which state offices shall be open for business. However, a prior license shall expire on the date of issuance of a renewal of such prior license. The commissioner may extend the period of validity of a license in a manner and form prescribed by him.
(b)An application for a license shall be valid for a period of time specified by regulation of the commissioner not to exceed five years. A learner's permit shall be valid from its issuance until the expiration of the application for a driver's license for which it was issued. Provided, however, a commercial learner's permit shall be valid for no more than such time as permitted by section 31308 of title 49 of the United States code and part 383.25 of title 49 of the code of federal regulations. Provided, however, that a commercial learner's permit issued by the commissioner in connection with an application for a commercial driver's license shall be cancelled within sixty days of the holder's medical certification status becoming "not-certified" based upon: (i) the expiration of the holder's medical certification or medical variance documentation required by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act of 1999 and Part 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations; (ii) the holder's failure to submit such medical certification or medical variance documentation at such intervals as required by the federal motor carrier safety improvement act of 1999 and Part 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations and in a manner prescribed by the commissioner; or (iii) the receipt by the commissioner of information from the issuing medical examiner or the federal motor carrier safety administration that a medical certification or medical variance was issued in error or rescinded. The commissioner shall, upon a holder's status becoming "not-certified", notify the holder of such commercial learner's permit issued in connection with a commercial driver's license application by first class mail to the address of such person on file with the department or at the current address provided by the United States postal service of his or her "not-certified" medical certification status and that the commercial motor vehicle privileges of such commercial learner's permit will be cancelled unless he or she submits a current medical certificate and/or medical variance in accordance with Part 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations or changes his or her self-certification to driving only in excepted or intrastate commerce in accordance with Part 383.71(b) (1) (ii), (iii) or (iv) of title 49 of the code of federal regulations.
2.Fees.
(i)If application is made for any license other than a commercial driver's license, such fee shall enable the applicant to take the knowledge test required for issuance of a learner's permit and driver's license no more than twice.
(ii)(A) If application is made for a commercial driver's license, such fee shall enable the applicant to take the knowledge test required for issuance of a learner's permit and driver's license once and also take any knowledge test or tests required for any endorsement or endorsements applied for which are taken at the same time.
(B) The knowledge tests for such learner's permit, driver's license or endorsements shall be available in both the English and Spanish language versions.
(iii)If an applicant fails to pass the knowledge test required for issuance of a learner's permit in the number of times specified in subparagraph (i) or (ii) of this paragraph, a new application fee shall be required.
(iv)Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, the difference collected between the fees set forth in this paragraph in effect on and after September first, two thousand nine and the fees set forth in this paragraph in effect prior to such date shall be deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund.
(b-1)Supplemental learner permit/license fee in the metropolitan commuter transportation district.
(c)Renewal fee. Fees for renewal of a license issued by the commissioner shall be as follows:
(c-1)In addition to the fees established in paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subdivision, a fee of fifty cents for each six months or portion thereof of the period of validity shall be paid upon the issuance of any permit, license or renewal of a license which is valid for the operation of a motorcycle, except a limited use motorcycle.
(c-2)Refunds. The commissioner shall refund any fees paid for a driver's license pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subdivision for the period commencing after completion of four years of the period of validity of such license, provided that such license is not suspended or revoked and is surrendered to the commissioner before the end of such four year period and application therefor is filed with the commissioner no later than three months from the expiration of such four year period.
(c-3)(i) Supplemental renewal fee in the metropolitan commuter transportation district. In addition to the fees required to be paid pursuant to paragraph (c) of this subdivision, a supplemental fee of one dollar for each six months or portion thereof of the validity of the license shall be paid for renewal of a license of a person who resides in the metropolitan commuter transportation district established by section one thousand two hundred sixty-two of the public authorities law issued by the commissioner.
(d)Duplicate and amendment fees.
(e)Alternative testing. If a knowledge test is required in any stage of the licensing process, the applicant may request that such test be given in a form other than written and if the applicant meets the eligibility standards established by the commissioner for an alternative test then the commissioner shall give such test in an alternative form. An additional fee of five dollars shall be required for such an alternative test.
(f)Photo image fee. In addition to any other fee prescribed herein, a fee of twelve dollars and fifty cents shall be charged for the processing of each learner permit or license document requiring a photo image. Of each such fee collected, five dollars shall be deposited to the credit of the general fund and five dollars shall be deposited in the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund established pursuant to section eighty-nine-b of the state finance law and the dedicated mass transportation fund established pursuant to section eighty-nine-c of the state finance law and distributed according to the provisions of subdivision (d) of section three hundred one-j of the tax law.
Notwithstanding any inconsistent provision of this section, the difference collected between the fees set forth in this paragraph in effect on and after September first, two thousand nine and the fees set forth in this paragraph in effect prior to such date shall be deposited to the credit of the dedicated highway and bridge trust fund.
(f-1)In addition to any other fee prescribed in this section, an additional fee of thirty dollars shall be charged for any license, issued to a New York state resident who is a citizen of the United States, that can be used for certain land and sea border crossings pursuant to section 7209 of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of Two Thousand Four, Public Law 108-458, or the regulations promulgated thereunder.
(g)In no event shall the commissioner increase fees or impose surcharges or penalties for the issuance or renewal of licenses without the specific mandate of the legislature effected pursuant to an amendment to this chapter.
(h)An applicant whose driver's license has been revoked pursuant to (i) section five hundred ten of this title, (ii) section eleven hundred ninety-three of this chapter, and (iii) section eleven hundred ninety-four of this chapter, shall, upon application for issuance of a driver's license, pay to the commissioner a fee of one hundred dollars. When the basis for the revocation is a finding of driving after having consumed alcohol pursuant to the provisions of section eleven hundred ninety-two-a of this chapter, the fee to be paid to the commissioner shall be one hundred dollars. Such fee is not refundable and shall not be returned to the applicant regardless of the action the commissioner may take on such person's application for reinstatement of such driving license. Such fee shall be in addition to any other fees presently levied but shall not apply to an applicant whose driver's license was revoked for failure to pass a reexamination or to an applicant who has been issued a conditional or restricted use license under the provisions of article twenty-one-A or thirty-one of this chapter.
(j)Whenever a license issued pursuant to this article, or a privilege of operating a motor vehicle or of obtaining such a license, has been suspended, such suspension shall remain in effect until a termination of a suspension fee of fifty dollars is paid to the commissioner; provided, however, when the basis for the suspension is a finding of driving after having consumed alcohol pursuant to the provisions of section eleven hundred ninety-two-a of this chapter, the fee to be paid to the commissioner shall be one hundred dollars. The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to a temporary suspension pending a hearing, prosecution or investigation, nor to an indefinite suspension which is issued because of the failure of the person suspended to perform an act, which suspension will be terminated by the performance of the act.
(j-1)(i) When a license issued pursuant to this article, or a privilege of operating a motor vehicle or of obtaining such a license, has been suspended based upon a failure to answer an appearance ticket or a summons or failure to pay a fine, penalty or mandatory surcharge, pursuant to subdivision three of section two hundred twenty-six, subdivision four of section two hundred twenty-seven, subdivision four-a of section five hundred ten or subdivision five-a of section eighteen hundred nine of this chapter, such suspension shall remain in effect until a termination of a suspension fee of seventy dollars is paid to the court or tribunal that initiated the suspension of such license or privilege. In no event may the aggregate of the fees imposed by an individual court pursuant to this paragraph for the termination of all suspensions that may be terminated as a result of a person's answers, appearances or payments made in such cases pending before such individual court exceed four hundred dollars. For the purposes of this paragraph, the various locations of the administrative tribunal established under article two-A of this chapter shall be considered an individual court.
(k)Fees assessed for reapplication for a driver's license or reinstatement of driving privileges after revocation or required to be paid for termination of suspension as provided in paragraphs (h), (i) and (j) of this subdivision shall be paid to the commissioner for deposit to the general fund. Fees assessed for termination of suspension as provided in paragraph (j-1) of this subdivision and collected by an administrative tribunal established under article two-A of this chapter shall be paid over to the state comptroller to the credit of the indigent legal services fund established by section ninety-eight-b of the state finance law.
3.Waiver of fee. The commissioner may waive the payment of fees required by subdivision two of this section if the applicant:
4.Driver responsibility assessment.
