‘TEEN' program alerts parents' about their children's driving record

Goshen - The New York State Department of Motor Vehicles’ Teen Electronic Event Notification Service or “TEENS” is a voluntary free service offered by the DMV that provides an opportunity for the parent or guardian of a minor, under the age of 18, to be notified in the event that a ticket, conviction, suspension, revocation or crash appears on the minor’s driver’s license record. From May through October of this year, there have been more than 12,700 enrollees in the program. Most have been completed at county clerk DMV offices. If enrolling in an office, the service must be requested at the time the minor applies for his or her original driver permit or non-driver ID. Parents who do not enroll at the time of the minor’s original permit or non-driver ID application may enroll by mail with a TEENS enrollment form at all four Orange County DMV locations (Goshen, Newburgh, Middletown, and Port Jervis) or online through www. MyDMV.com. The TEENS program is the first resource to be made available through MyDMV, an online resource for DMV customers at www.nydmv.state.ny.us. Previously, TEENS alerted parents of convictions, suspensions, revocations and crashes. The program now includes notification when a teen receives a ticket, so that the parent can be immediately alerted of possible problems in their minor’s driving performance. When a reportable event occurs, parents or guardians will receive a notification from DMV in the mail, but can also choose to receive notification via e-mail. In order to participate, a younger driver must be under the age of 18 and the parent or guardian must have a valid New York State driver license or non-driver ID. For information on TEENS, MyDMV, and other resources for young drivers please visit www.nydmv.state.ny.us or contact County Clerk Donna Benson at 291-2690.

It’s a good program because teens may not tell parents when they receive a summons for fear that the parent may take away the privilege of using the family car. This program will immediately notify the parent, who can take appropriate action at home, and if necessary, contact the officer who issued the summons to find out more details about the traffic stop, like who else was in the car with the teen and the location the summons was issued.” Monroe Village Police Det. James Frankild