N.Y. Vehicle & Traffic Law § 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.