New York Laws
Article 19 - Licensing of Drivers
509 - Violations.

§ 509. Violations. 1. Except while operating a motor vehicle during
the course of a road test conducted pursuant to the provisions of this
article, no person shall operate or drive a motor vehicle upon a public
highway of this state or upon any sidewalk or to or from any lot
adjacent to a public garage, supermarket, shopping center or car washing
establishment or to or from or into a public garage or car washing
establishment unless he is duly licensed pursuant to the provisions of
this chapter.

1-a. Whenever a license is required to operate a commercial motor
vehicle, no person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle without the
proper endorsements for the specific vehicle being operated or for the
passengers or type of cargo being transported.

2. Whenever a license is required to operate a motor vehicle, no
person shall operate a motor vehicle unless he is the holder of a class
of license which is valid for the operation of such vehicle.

3. Whenever a permit or license is required to operate a motor
vehicle, no person shall operate any motor vehicle in violation of any
restriction contained on, or applicable to, the permit or license.

4. No person shall knowingly authorize or permit a motor vehicle owned
by him or in his charge to be operated in violation of subdivisions one,
two or three of this section.

5. No person shall hold more than one unexpired license issued by the
commissioner at any one time. The holding of a license of one class and
a learner's permit for another class at the same time shall not be
deemed a violation of this subdivision.

6. No licensee shall voluntarily permit any other person to use his
license, nor shall any person at any time possess or use any forged,
fictitious or illegally obtained license, or use any license belonging
to another person.

7. No person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle without being in
possession of the appropriate license for the motor vehicle being
operated.

7-a. No person shall operate a commercial motor vehicle while knowing
or having reason to know that he or she is not medically certified, as
required, in accordance with the federal motor carrier safety
improvement act of 1999 and Part 383.71(h) of title 49 of the code of
federal regulations.

8. No licensee shall fail to notify the commissioner in writing of a
change of residence as required by this article.

9. Whenever notice of disability is required to be given to the
commissioner as required by this article, no person shall operate any
motor vehicle until such notice has been given.

10. No person shall hold an unexpired license issued by the
commissioner while holding a driver's license issued by any other
jurisdiction. This prohibition shall not apply to any license which by
its terms is valid only within the jurisdiction of issuance. Nor shall
it apply if such person has informed the commissioner of such multiple
licenses and the commissioner has determined that it is necessary for
such person to hold more than one license to comply with the laws of
each of the jurisdictions in which such licenses were issued. The
foregoing exceptions shall not be applicable to commercial driver's
licenses after December thirty-first, nineteen hundred eighty-nine.

11. A violation of any provision of this section shall be punishable
by a fine of not less than seventy-five nor more than three hundred
dollars, or by imprisonment for not more than fifteen days, or by both
such fine and imprisonment except, if the violation consists of failure
to renew a license which was valid within sixty days, the fine shall be
not more than forty dollars, and except that a violation of subdivision

seven or eight of this section shall be punishable by a fine of not more
than seventy-five dollars.

12. A violation of subdivision two of this section involving the
operation for hire of any vehicle as a taxicab, livery as defined in
section one hundred twenty-one-e of this chapter, coach, limousine, van
or wheelchair accessible van or tow truck within the state without the
appropriate license therefor, shall be punishable by a fine of not less
than two hundred twenty-five dollars nor more than four hundred fifty
dollars. A person who operates a vehicle for hire without the
appropriate license therefor pursuant to subdivision two of this section
after having been convicted of such a violation within the preceding
five years shall be punished by a fine of not less than three hundred
seventy-five dollars nor more than seven hundred fifty dollars. A person
who operates a vehicle for hire without the appropriate license therefor
pursuant to subdivision two of this section after having been convicted
two or more times of such a violation within the preceding ten years
shall be punished by a fine of not less than seven hundred fifty dollars
nor more than one thousand five hundred dollars.