Dominicans living in New York will be able to exchange their driver’s licenses from the Dominican Republic for US licenses starting next September, according to Diario Libre. This is according to New York State Senator Luis Sepúlveda, who is in favor of the bill that makes this possible.
The spokesperson for New York’s 32nd District told this news outlet, “We expect that in the next three to four weeks, we will be able to start the process over there.”
Americans drivers traveling or living in the Dominican Republic
If everything goes as planned, the law, which lets people swap state licenses for Dominican ones, would start almost a year after it was first supposed to.
Sepúlveda said that the delay was because the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) offices had to change how they did things to fit the new law.
New York State has more than 800 Department of Motor Vehicles offices, which are called Intrant (Instituto Nacional de Tránsito y Transporte Terrestre) in this country. It takes some time to train everyone who is involved in the license swap process.
That’s why it took a little longer than planned. “But I’m sure we’ll start the process by September, and I’m sure it will go very well,” the senator said.
The New Legislation: A Path to Success
The Law S.4329-A / A.3935-A was signed by Governor Kathy Hochul in August 2023, while President Luis Abinader was in New York for the Dominican Day Parade.
This law gives the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) the power to make deals with governments outside of the United States. These deals let newcomers from countries like the Dominican Republic trade in their legal driver’s licenses for New York licenses.
Points of the New Law for drivers
- Training: Extensive training is required for the personnel involved in the license exchange process.
- Collaboration: The DMV will work closely with foreign governments to facilitate the exchange.
- Implementation Timeline: The process is expected to commence by September, ensuring a smooth transition.
It will be much easier for new residents to fit in with the state’s society thanks to this law, which is expected to be a huge success.
Because both sides agreed to this, people who want to make the move don’t have to take any theoretical tests or driving tests; they just have to pay the right taxes.
Comparable Licensing Process for drivers
The DMV has to check to see if the other country has a “comparable licensing process,” which means that they have to have both knowledge tests and driving tests.
Eligibility for License Exchange
People over the age of 18 will be able to swap licenses, but only standard licenses will be accepted. Commercial licenses for big trucks and motorcycles are not covered by this deal.
Implementation Delay
The news site for Telemundo 47 said that the homologation process would start in November 2023, which is about three months after the contract was signed. A state assemblyman was asked about it during a visit to Diario Libre in December, but he said it hadn’t happened yet because of unfinished business and the need to sign official papers.
A lot of Dominicans are looking forward to being able to trade their licenses, but Assemblyman Manny de los Santos says the state is not ready for this yet.
Current Status of the License Exchange Project
At that time, De Los Santos, who first brought up the idea with Sepúlveda, said that the main reason for the delay is the preparations at the DMV.
Support and Efforts for Implementation
Sepúlveda defended the idea and said that work is being done to make it happen. He stressed that the New York government was determined to see it through to the end.
Recently, Sepúlveda told Diario Libre, “We are waiting for the results, but I know that the outcome of this project will be a great success for the Dominican Republic, the economy here, and the lives of people living in New York.” He said this to stress how important the law was.
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