1-888-368-4329Importance of Maintaining Valid Identification
By Attorney Cormac McEnery, Esq.
Financial institutions now have more stringent identification requirements as a result of the Patriot Act. You may have difficulties processing your own financial transactions at banks, brokerage firms and other financial institutions if you do not have valid picture government identification, such as a state driver license or US passport. This could be even more problematic should you become disabled.
Your attorney-in-fact, the person you have appointed in your power of attorney to act on your behalf, may have difficulty or be unable to process some financial transactions on your behalf if you do not have valid government picture identification, at a time when you may not be physically able to apply in person for a government picture identification. Most first time and certain expired government identification applications such as New York State driver licenses, New York State non-driver identification, and US passports require that you to apply in person.
Always renew your driver license (or non-driver identification) and passport before they expire.
If you do not have a New York State driver license or non-driver identification, you should apply for a New York non-driver identification. If you have a current New York State driver license, non-driver identification, or one that expired less than two years ago, you may renew your identification by mail. The instructions and forms can be obtained from a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles’ office or their website www.nydmv.state.ny.us/form-pub.htm. You will need to apply in person if this is your first application or your identification expired two or more years ago.
If you are applying for your first US passport, you must apply in person at a US Passport Agency office or a designated US Post Office. If you have a current or expired US passport, issued when you were at least 16 years of age which was issued less than 15 years ago and your name on the passport has not changed, you may renew your passport by mail. US passport forms and instructions can be obtained from most post offices and from the US Department of State’s website www.travel.state.gov/passport/passport_1738_2.html.
Get more information about maintaining valid NY and US ID
We serve clients from New York City (Manhattan, Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens), Westchester, and Nassau and Suffolk Counties. If you would like additional information on elder law and estate planning, contact Cormac McEnery or call 1-888-368-4329.
