WASHINGTON, USA — Effective immediately, residents of the State of New York will no longer be eligible to apply for or renew membership in US Customs and Border Protection Trusted Traveler Programs due to state legislation that restricts CBP’s access to certain criminal history information maintained by the New York Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
In addition, the Vehicle Exports program will be affected. Vehicles titled in New York may be de-prioritized for export, as resource limitations require when supporting documents cannot be authenticated through information sharing with New York DMV.
The decision comes as the State of New York implements the “Driver’s License Access and Privacy Act,” which prohibits CBP from accessing information maintained by the New York DMV. Without access to this information, CBP cannot properly complete security checks for Trusted Traveler Program applications and renewals submitted by New York residents, greatly increasing our security risk.
“Nothing is more important than the safety of the United States and our citizens, and the New York Green Light law makes us less safe and shields criminals,” said CBP acting commissioner Mark Morgan. “We recognize that many New York residents and businesses will be negatively affected by this change, but we cannot compromise the safety and security of our homeland. When states take negative measures that hinder our ability to protect our great country, we must respond.”
New York residents will no longer be eligible to apply for or renew membership in CBP Trusted Traveler Programs and CBP will cancel all pending Trusted Traveler Program applications submitted by residents of New York. Refunds will be processed automatically.
New York residents who are currently enrolled in Trusted Travel Programs will retain their benefits until their memberships expire. CBP’s Trusted Traveler Programs provide secure, expedited processing for pre-approved, low-risk travelers.
The programs include Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI and FAST. For more information about Trusted Traveler Programs, please visit ttp.dhs.gov.