Joe Picchi, the director of communications of the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), has confirmed reports that the DMV is comparing the information provided by the license holders, especially the Social Security numbers, with Social Security Administration records. According to Picchi, the authorities are determining if the information furnished to them is correct or not.

Picchi said that 11 million individuals have so far been issued driving licenses in New York State. According him, three years ago the DMV offices in the New York State did not have the technology to determine if the Social Security number provided by an applicant was real and matched numbers issued by the administration. However, now every DMV office in the state has this technology.

Picchi informed us that scrutiny of 2.7 million of the total 3.2 million licenses issued was completed. The majority of those cases were settled and the department sent confirmation letters to individuals involving cases where authorities did not find any discrepancy. Furthermore, he revealed that the department had so far not suspended any licenses: “We are just trying to confirm if the information provided to us by the license holders is the same as is on their records.”

Picchi denied that the DMV’s scrutiny was only focused on immigrants. He said any one could receive the letters being sent by the department. He added: “It is a crime to furnish a bogus Social Security number or any other false information in order to get a driver’s license and legal action is initiated against all such individuals.” He stated that other states are also scrutinizing drivers’ licenses.