QUEENS, NY (TIP): Over 1,000 New Yorkers have enrolled for the IDNYC municipal ID card at the temporary pop-up enrollment center since it first opened at Queens Borough Hall on June 2. Originally scheduled to be up for two weeks, Borough President Melinda Katz announced she would extend the center’s stay to serve through July 10, 2015 due to strong demand.

“IDNYC is a valuable tool for all City residents who enroll because it helps ensure equal access to municipal services,” Borough President Katz said. “Due to strong demand, we are pleased to extend the temporary satellite location here at Borough Hall for several more weeks.”

All New York City residents age 14 and older can get an IDNYC card, regardless of immigration status. The IDNYC card is an accessible and secure document that enables residents to access City services and grant admission to City buildings, such as schools. In addition, the card can be presented as proof of identification for interacting with the police and is an accepted form of identification for opening a banking account at select financial institutions. An IDNYC card can also be used at all branches of all three of New York City’s public library systems and be used to obtain discounts and other benefits at museums and cultural institutions, entertainment venues, pharmacies and fitness centers.

All IDNYC applicants can make an appointment at Queens Borough Hall or at any other IDNYC Enrollment Center. Appointments can be made either by calling 311 or online at http://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/card/make-an-appointment.page. Applicants are required to present proof of identity and residency in New York City. Many types of documents are accepted, all of which are listed at http://www1.nyc.gov/site/idnyc/card/documentation.page. Upon submitting an application, the IDNYC Card will be sent to the resident via regular mail.

The IDNYC card is free for all New Yorkers who apply before December 31, 2015. Cards are valid for five years from the date the application is approved. The IDNYC application is available in various languages including English, Albanian, Arabic, Armenian, Bengali, Chinese (Simplified), Farsi, French, German, Greek, Gujarati, Haitian-Creole, Hebrew, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Polish, Portuguese (Brazilian), Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Spanish, Tagalog, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Yiddish.

The City will protect the confidentiality of all IDNYC card applicants to the maximum extent allowable by applicable federal and state law, and in accordance with Local Law 35. In addition, the City will not ask applicants for information about their immigration status for purposes of obtaining the card.

Queens Borough Hall is located at 120-55 Queens Boulevard in Kew Gardens. It is adjacent to the Kew Gardens-Union Turnpike subway station on the E and F lines.

Follow Borough President Katz via @melindakatz
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