Department of Motor Vehicles
Armed Forces Information & Support

DMV Information for Members of the US Armed Forces, Military Veterans and Military Families

Use this page to quickly find helpful information at the DMV web site for those who currently serve in the US Armed Forces and their families, and military veterans and their families.

You must have a version number of 7.0 or later of Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer to open and print the forms listed on this page. The latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader® is free at the Adobe web site.

Members of The Armed Forces Who Serve Or Served In The War On Terrorism and In Iraq.

Read the FAQs for members of the US Armed Forces who now serve or previously served in the War on Terrorism and in Iraq. You must have a version number of 7.0 or later of Adobe Acrobat Reader® installed on your computer to read the FAQs. The latest version of Adobe Acrobat Reader® is free at the Adobe web site.

Customer Service Knowledge Base Answers for Members of the Armed Forces

• How to Renew or Extend Your NYS Driver License While you are in the US Armed Forces
• Renewal of Expired Driver Licenses and Extensions of Driver Licenses
• Register a Car in NYS: Stationed or Living Out-of-State
• How to Exchange a Military Driver License for a NYS Driver License
• Registration Fee Exemptions for Veterans

Driver Licenses, Learner Permits and Non-Driver Photo ID Cards

• Driver Licenses. Provides information about NYS driver license extensions (form MV-75) and renewal while in the Armed Forces, and the use of military-issued driver licenses in NYS.
• Junior Licenses or Learner Permits. Military training is included in the definition of "school or course" for a driver with a junior license or junior learner permit (Class DJ, MJ or DJMJ).
• CDL Military Skills Test Waiver. An applicant for a NYS commercial driver license (CDL) with military experience driving commercial motor vehicles may qualify to apply for a waiver of the NYS CDL skills (road) test. The applicant must meet all other CDL requirements.
• Motorcycle License Road Test Waiver. Information about Armed Forces motorcycle rider courses and the NYS motorcycle license road test waiver.

Vehicle Registrations and Title Certificates

• Second party registration transactions when a registrant cannot visit a DMV office or complete DMV forms. Includes links to form MV-454 (Affirmation for Renewal of Registration for Absentee Owner) and MV-456 (Certification of Disposition of Vehicle on Behalf of Absentee Owner)
• Deferral of vehicle sales tax on form DTF-803 (Claim for Sales Tax Exemption - Title/Registration Motor Vehicle, ATV, Vessel (Boat) or Snowmobile) for members of the US Armed Forces.
• Register a vehicle imported from another country and use form DD-430 (Military Registration and Certificate of Title of Motor Vehicle) as proof of ownership.
• Form MV-412 (Military and Veteran Custom Plates Application), and gallery of military and veteran custom plates.
• The registration class codes for military and veteran custom plates. The list of codes was prepared for the online duplicate vehicle registration transaction.
• Form MV-1E (Statement to Register a Vehicle Under Title 38) and Form MV-1G (Statement to Renew a Vehicle Under Article 38) for vehicles obtained by disabled veterans under Federal Title 38.
• Form MV-1H (Statement to Register a Vehicle with Former POW or Congressional Medal of Honor Plates).
• Form MV-215 Request for Refund that includes instructions to apply for a vehicle registration fee refund if you entered the US Armed Forces after you received a NYS vehicle registration.

Use of a Military Address for a DMV Transaction

• The instructions on Form MV-232 inform you not to report a temporary change of address, and this includes military addresses.
• The instructions for the following online DMV transactions specify that you cannot do the transaction online if your address is not in the US, and this includes military addresses:
  • Online driver license renewal
  • Online duplicate driver license
  • Online order for driver record abstract
• Form CR-78 (NYS Motor Vehicle Dealer and Transporter Regulations) requires an automobile dealer to use the military residence address on a certificate of sale if the purchaser has no other residence address. (Read Section 78.11 on page 20)

Military Documents that You Can Use as Proof of Identity or Date of Birth for DMV Transactions

The pages or documents listed below list the documents issued by the US Armed Forces that you can use as proof of identity or proof of date of birth documents for DMV transactions.  The military documents that can be used as proofs are also listed on the application forms and the instruction forms for the transactions.

Read all of the instructions for the transaction.  Other proofs are required.

• Proofs of identity and date of birth for driver license, learner permit or Non-Driver Photo ID Card transactions. Also see Form ID-44 (Proofs of Identity for Learner Permit, Driver License, and Non-Driver ID Card) and ID-44S (in Spanish).
• Proofs of identity and date of birth for vehicle registration and title certificate transactions. Also see Form ID-82 (Proofs of Identity for Registration and Title) and ID-82S (in Spanish).