Department of Motor Vehicles
Requirements for a Second-Party Application for a Vehicle Registration

When a person different from the registrant applies for a vehicle registration at a DMV office, that person (the second party) must show proof of identity for both parties.

The only acceptable proofs of identity are:

• a NYS driver license,
• a NYS learner permit, or
• a NYS non-driver photo ID card.

The second party must show:

• the NYS photo document of the registrant (a photocopy or the original), and
• the original of their own NYS photo document.

An expired document is acceptable if the document is expired less than two years.

If either party does not have a photo document issued by the NYSDMV, the DMV will not process the second-party application, and the registrant must apply for the vehicle registration.

The registrant must sign the required forms. A second party must have a Power of Attorney to sign a form for another person.

An Example of a Second-Party Application

A wife brings an application for a vehicle registration to a DMV office for her husband. The wife must show a photocopy (or the original) of the driver license, the learner permit, or the non-driver photo ID card of her husband. The wife also must show her own original NYS photo document. The husband must sign all the required forms before they are brought to the office.

Members of the US Armed Forces

If the second party completed either of the forms that are listed below, the photo document and the signature of the registrant (owner) are not required:

• form MV-454 (Affirmation for Renewal of Registration for Absentee Owner)
• form MV-456 (Certification of Disposition of Vehicle on Behalf of Absentee Owner)

The second party can only use these forms if the registrant (owner) is a member of the US Armed Forces and is absent from NYS.