The Irish government's transport minister Darragh O'Brien has written to New York Governor Kathy Hochul over the matter of reciprocal drivers' licenses.
As reported by the Irish Independent: "Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien has formally written to New York governor to request that the state look to introduce reciprocal driving licences between New York and Ireland.
"Challenges around driving licences for Irish citizens moving home after being in the U.S. has become a major issue as U.S. licences are not recognised in Ireland.
Campaigners in the U.S. have been campaigning for some time for an agreement on licenses. The campaign is based at irishlicenseexchange.com.
The group said in a statement: "In a major step forward for our campaign, Transport Minister Darragh O’Brien and Minister of State for International Development and the Diaspora Neale Richmond have written to New York Governor Kathy Hochul outlining Ireland’s interest in securing reciprocal driving licence agreements between New York and Ireland.
"The Irish Independent reports that Ministers O’Brien and Richmond sent a letter to Governor Hochul last week, referencing legislation passed in New York in 2023 that gave the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles the authority to enter into reciprocal driver licence agreements with other countries.
"This would mark the first step toward securing such an agreement between Ireland and a U.S. state. Ireland already has agreements in place with several countries and Canadian provinces.
"The Programme for Government committed to pursuing agreements with U.S. states, recognising that the lack of access to driving licences presents a significant barrier for emigrants seeking to return to Ireland as well as for new migrants to the country.
"Currently, newcomers to Ireland—including those whose Irish driving licences have expired—must complete a theory test, a series of lessons, and a driving test in order to obtain a licence. This has become a major issue due to significant testing backlogs."
