2023 New York Laws › VAT - Vehicle and Traffic › Title 2 - Department of Motor Vehicles; Commissioner › Article 3 - Exemption of Non-Resident Owners and Operators › 251 - Exemption for Members of the Armed Forces and Their Dependents.

§ 251. Exemption for members of the armed forces and their dependents.
  1.  The provisions of this chapter relative to the registration of motor
  vehicles and motorcycles and the display  of  number  plates  shall  not
  apply   to  motor  vehicles  or  motorcycles  having  registrations  and
  displaying plates issued by the armed forces of the  United  States  for
  vehicles  owned  by members of the armed forces or their dependents, but
  such exemption shall be valid only for a period of forty-five days after
  the owner thereof has entered this state for the purpose of traveling to
  either his place of residence or a point of military duty.
2. A member of the armed forces who  has  been  issued  a  license  to
  operate  a motor vehicle or motorcycle by the armed forces of the United
  States may operate a motor vehicle or motorcycle on the public  highways
  of  this state without being licensed under this chapter for a period of
  sixty days after such person has entered this state.
2-a. A member of the armed forces and any  dependent  of  such  person
  sixteen years of age or older who has complied with the laws of a state,
  territory,  federal  district  or  foreign  country  which  require such
  person, in order to operate a motor vehicle or motorcycle therein, to be
  licensed, may operate or drive a motor  vehicle  or  motorcycle  on  the
  public  highways  of  this  state  without  being so licensed under this
  chapter. Provided, however, that  the  recognition  granted  under  this
  subdivision  shall,  with  respect to a person under the age of eighteen
  years, only permit the operation of a motor  vehicle  or  motorcycle  in
  this  state  in  accordance  with the same restrictions imposed upon New
  York residents operating or driving motor vehicles or  motorcycles  with
  class  DJ or MJ licenses under subdivision three of section five hundred
  one of this chapter. The exemption granted in this subdivision shall not
  apply to persons whose privilege of operating a motor  vehicle  in  this
  state,  or  whose  former  license  to  drive  in  this  state, has been
  suspended or revoked, until  such  suspension  or  revocation  has  been
  terminated   or   privilege  of  operating  a  motor  vehicle  restored.
  Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision four of this section,  for
  purposes  of this subdivision, "member of the armed forces" shall mean a
  person on active duty, other than annual active duty for training, in  a
  branch  of  the  armed forces of the United States and "dependent" shall
  mean a spouse or child of a member of the armed forces residing  in  the
  same  household  and  dependent upon such member of the armed forces for
  support.
3. The provisions of this chapter relative  to  the  registration  and
  equipment of motor vehilces, motorcycles and trailers and the display of
  registration  numbers  shall not apply to motor vehicles, motorcycles or
  trailers owned by members of the armed forces or  their  dependents  who
  are  non-residents  of this state, provided that the owner thereof shall
  have complied with the provisions of the law  of  the  foreign  country,
  state,  territory  or  federal  district  of  his  residence relative to
  registration and  equipment  of  such  motor  vehicles,  motorcycles  or
  trailers,  as  the  case may be, and the display of registration numbers
  thereon, and shall conspicuously display  his  registration  numbers  as
  required thereby.
4. For the purposes of this section "member of the armed forces" shall
  mean  a  person  on  active  duty,  other  than  annual  active duty for
  training, in a branch of the armed forces of  the  United  States  or  a
  person  who  has  been  discharged  from  such  active  duty  within the
  preceding sixty days, and "dependent" shall mean a spouse or child of  a
  member  of  the  armed  forces  or  other  person  residing  in the same
  household and dependent  upon  such  member  of  the  armed  forces  for
  support.