Motor Vehicles

State laws vary when it comes to motor vehicle insurance requirements, licensing and registration. The term vehicle generally includes automobiles, motorcycles, vans, trailers and boats regularly parked or garaged overnight. Service members and their families will want to understand their state’s laws on registration and licensing before moving to a new state. Visit the USA.gov Motor Vehicle Services page for links to state-specific websites.

New York State law requires you to have sufficient liability insurance and a valid driver’s license in order to operate a vehicle. Your vehicle must be properly registered. Even though you are in the Military, you may be required to register your vehicle in-state and obtain an in-state license within a few months of moving. Access complete information on insurance, driver’s licensing, and where and how to register your vehicle by visiting the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles website https://dmv.ny.gov/registrations.

Residents must register their personal weapons with the West Point Military Police. Bicycle registration is recommended.

The Provost Marshal's Office (PMO) handles Weapons and Bicycle Registration for all residents. To register a personal weapon, bring your CAC or DOD identification card, driver's license, and weapon information including serial number. All registration forms are available on-site.

Mon - Fri 11:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Sat and Sun - closed
Closed on Federal Holidays

State and local laws regulate the operation of motor vehicles, and these laws can vary by location. Many states regulate the following:

• Seatbelt use
• Child safety seats
• Motorcycle operation
• The use of cellphones and other digital devices while driving

Learn more about motor vehicle laws in your state at the Distraction.gov State Laws page.

You and your passengers must always wear seatbelts while driving; you will be ticketed and issued heavy fines if seatbelts are not secured. State law requires that all children under 6 years of age be properly restrained in child seats. Some states also require younger, smaller children to sit in the back seat.

*** NY State law effective November 1, 2019, all children under the age of 2 must ride in a rear-facing car seat.

NY State law effective November 1, 2020:

• All motor vehicle passengers aged 16 and older must be restrained by a seat belt.
• Backseat passengers in a taxi or livery who are 16 years of age or older must be restrained by a seat belt.
• All passengers in a taxi or livery who are 8-15 years of age must be restrained by a seat belt.

Motorcycles and their operators are subject to special laws. If you own and operate a motorcycle, you must comply with those laws. Visit the State Department of Motor Vehicles website for more information.

New York State has strict laws about the use of cell phones and other digital devices while driving. Research these laws on the State Department of Motor Vehicles website. New York State Vehicle and Traffic Law 1225-c provides the guidelines for cell phone usage. Tickets will be issued and fines assessed for violating these laws. Always use a "hands free" device if you must use a cell phone or other PDA while driving. Hands-free devices must be used while operating a motor vehicle on ALL military installations worldwide.

Rollerblades (in line skates) can be used in empty parking lots or on side streets. Rollerblading is not allowed on the main roads/streets.

Seat Belts and Car Seats

New York is a "primary enforcement" state. A law enforcement officer can issue a traffic ticket just for failure to wear a seat belt. A ticket can be issued to the driver who fails to make sure a child passenger is properly secured in a safety seat or with a seat belt. This law also applies to visitors from outside New York State.

Highlights of New York State's Occupant Restraint Law

• Effective November 1, 2020, every occupant, regardless of age or seating position, of a motor vehicle being operated by the holder of a Class-DJ Learner Permit, a Limited Class-DJ, or Class-DJ Driver License must be restrained by a seat belt or child safety restraint system, one per person.
• The child restraint system must comply with the child height and weight recommendations determined by the manufacturer. Depending on the size of the child, the restraint system may be a safety seat or a booster seat used in combination with a lap and shoulder belt.
• The driver must make sure that each passenger regardless of age obeys the law. The driver can be fined and receive driver license penalty points for each violation.
• If a driver is transporting a passenger under the age of 16, and they are not accompanied by a parent or guardian and do not buckle their seatbelt, the driver could receive a ticket.
• Seat belt use is not required in emergency vehicles, 1964 or older vehicles, or by passengers in buses other than school buses (seat belt use may be required by the school district). Rural letter Carriers are also exempt while they are delivering mail.
• The driver and each passenger regardless of age or seating position must wear a seat belt in taxi and livery vehicles.

Children in Seat Belts

Every child in the vehicle regardless of age must use a safety restraint. If under age four, the child must be properly secured in a federally-approved child safety seat that is attached to a vehicle by a safety belt or universal child restraint anchorage (LATCH) system. A child under age four who weighs more than 40 pounds may be restrained in a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt. A child of age 4, 5, 6 or 7, must use a booster seat with lap and shoulder belt or a child safety seat (The child and safety restraint system must meet the height and weight recommendations of the restraint manufacturer.)

Exception: A child more than four feet nine inches tall or more than 100 pounds is allowed to use a seat belt that has both a lap belt and a shoulder harness. To use the seat belt, the child must be able to sit straight up against the vehicle's seat back with both knees bent comfortably over the edge of the seat. The lap belt should be placed low and tight across the upper thighs; the shoulder belt should rest tightly but comfortably across the child's chest and shoulder (collar bone) without touching the throat. If the seat belt does not fit properly, the child should use a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt.

A booster seat can be used only with a lap and shoulder belt together. If all the combination lap and shoulder belt positions in the vehicle are already occupied by children using child safety seats or booster seats, a child who ordinarily would use a booster seat should be restrained using only the lap belt.

An appropriate child safety restraint system:

• Is required for all children until their 8th birthday and,
• Must meet the size and weight requirements for the child based on the Federal requirements and the recommendations of the manufacturer, and
• Can be a child safety seat, a harness, a vest or a booster seat attached with the vehicle seat belt or latch system, but not the vehicle seat belt alone, and
• Should not be used in the front seat of the vehicle.

If the child is eight years old and is under 4'9" tall or weighs less than 100 lbs, it is recommended that you continue to use a child restraint system.

Seat Belts on School Buses

New York State law requires that large school buses manufactured after July 1, 1987, be equipped with seat belts, and that schools make them accessible to each vehicle occupant. Every school bus driver is required to wear a seat belt, and children under the age of four must ride in properly installed, federally-certified child safety seats. Each school district sets its own policy for seat belt use by the other passengers.

Airbags

An airbag provides extra protection against crash injuries. It works with seat belts, and does not replace them. An airbag helps protect a front-seat occupant in a head-on or side crash by inflating upon impact. This rapid inflation cushions the occupant from collision with the steering wheel, dashboard, windshield, side windows, or metal door frame.

Airbags deploy (expand rapidly) from the steering wheel and/or dashboard, and, in some vehicles, from the side doors beneath or above the window. The force of an airbag deploying may injure those who sit too close to it. Make sure to sit with at least 10 inches between the center of your breastbone and the airbag cover. If you are the vehicle's driver, place your hands on the steering wheel at the 3 and 9 o'clock positions to keep them out of the way of airbag deployment. For maximum protection, children under the age of 12 should sit in the rear seat of the vehicle.

Tip: Never put an infant in a rear-facing child safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag on or in the dashboard.

Safety tips for specific seats and age groups:

• Rear- Facing: Infants and toddlers should ride in a rear-facing car seat for as long as possible, but at least until the age of 2. If a child outgrows the weight or height limit of the seat, then a convertible or all-in-one car seat should be used in the rear-facing position until the child outgrows the weight or height limit set by the car seat manufacturer.
• Forward-Facing: Keep your child in a forward-facing car seat with a harness as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height allowed by the car seat manufacturer.
• Booster Seats: Use a belt positioning booster seat when your child’s weight or height is above the forward-facing limit for the car seat. Keep your child in a booster seat until the lap and shoulder belts fit properly, typically between 8 and 12 years old.
• Seat Belts: Use a lap and shoulder belt when the seat belts fit your child properly. The lap belt should be low and snug across the upper thighs and the shoulder belt should lie across the middle of the chest and shoulder.
• All children under age 13 should ride in the backseat.
• All school bus passengers under the age of four must be restrained in a federally approved car seat. [Section 1229-c(11), NYS Vehicle & Traffic Law].

Find additional information on finding the right seat from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

Motorcycle Requirements

AR 385-10 requires all military motorcycle and moped operators and passengers to use the following on post:

• Motorcycle Helmet (DOT Certified)
• Goggles or Full Face Shield
• Sturdy Footwear (no open toe shoes)
• Long Sleeves and Long Trousers
• Full-fingered Gloves
• Reflector Belt around torso or backpack (Day) and Retro-reflective Outer Upper Garment (Night) recommended.

Civilian motorcycle motorcycle operators and passengers must wear certified motorcycle helmets.

All Soldiers must pass a motorcycle safety course and carry the safety card while operating the vehicle. Contact the West Point Garrison Safety Office at (520) 717-9401 for more information.

Hand-held mobile cellphone or portable electronic devices

Under New York State law, you cannot use a hand-held mobile telephone or portable electronic device while you drive. Illegal activity includes holding a portable electronic device and doing any of the following:

• talking on a handheld mobile telephone
• composing, sending, reading, accessing, browsing, transmitting, saving, or retrieving electronic data such as e-mail, text messages, or webpages
• viewing, taking, or transmitting images
• playing games

If you use a portable electronic device while you drive (except to call 911 or to contact medical, fire or police personnel about an emergency), you can receive a traffic ticket and be subject to a fine and surcharge.

RVs, boats and trailers may only be stored in the following locations:

• Morgan Farm (monthly & yearly storage options available)
• Round Pond (daily, monthly and seasonal options available)

RVs, boats and trailers may not be stored in housing areas or in other locations on West Point not listed above. Only residents living on West Point may store the RVs, boats and trailers on West Point grounds. For more information call (845) 446-5365 between the hours of 0830 - 1700 for more information .