LIVINGSTON COUNTY

OFFICE OF COUNTY CLERK

Livingston County Government Center
6 Court Street, Room 201
Geneseo, New York 14454

Phone (585) 243-7010

Fax (585) 243-7928

Office Hours: 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday - Friday

Mary F. Strickland Andrea K. Bailey

County Clerk Deputy County
Clerk

The New York State Legislature recently approved the “Green Light Bill” which takes affect December
2019, authorizing the issuance of driver’s licenses to undocumented immigrants within New York State.
This approval comes despite objections expressed by County Clerks throughout the State of New York.

I took an oath of office as County Clerk, to “support the Constitution of the United States, and
Constitution of the State of New York and faithfully discharge the duties of my office”. There may be a
conflict when it comes to administering this legislation; however it is not up to me to determine the
constitutionality of this legislation. In my position, my personal opinion and whether I agree or disagree
with the legislation cannot circumvent my duty to uphold the law.

In many counties, including Livingston County, the County Clerk serves as agent for the New York State
Commissioner of Motor Vehicle. As such, I am responsible for the day to day operation of the
Department of Motor Vehicle offices in both Geneseo and Dansville, which includes the processing of
paperwork for driver’s licenses. The key words are “processing paperwork” as the local offices do not
actually issue driver’s licenses. The State is the entity that actually issues licenses after having received the
necessary paperwork processed and submitted by local offices.

Now that the law has passed, the local offices under my supervision will begin the process of working
with the State Motor Vehicle Department to fine tune the changes in the application process, which
includes developing a uniform understanding of the various new forms of paperwork that will now be
permitted as part of that process.
My concern now is for my staff, as they do not have the necessary training to be able to identify and
authenticate the many different types of foreign documents they will encounter under the new law. These
are county employees working within a state system, with specific state guidelines.

We do not intend to change the way we operate our Motor Vehicle Offices. We will treat everyone
equally and with respect.