Effective February 5, 2020, New York residents will no longer be eligible to enroll or re-enroll in CBP‘s trusted traveler programs. This includes Global Entry, NEXUS, SENTRI, and FAST. The DHS took this action in response to the NY State “Green Light” Law, which became effective on December 14, 2019 and allowed New York residents to apply for standard driver licenses or permits regardless of their immigration status. A section of that law limited the sharing of certain personal information from the NY DMV application records, absent a subpoena, warrant or Court Order.

This DHS action does not affect the ability of NY residents currently enrolled in a Trusted Traveler Program to continue using their NEXUS cards for travel to Canada or for TSA Pre-Clearance on domestic flights. However, it will bar current holders from renewing their documents upon expiration.

Also, because the DHS stated it cannot validate documents used to establish vehicle ownership, the exporting of used vehicles titled and registered in New York will be significantly delayed.

– Michael Marszalkowski, Partner