CHINATOWN — Grabbing a municipal ID should be easier for areas residents, thanks to a new enrollment center that opened Wednesday.
The city launched a pop-up site at Confucius Plaza, close to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce at 33 Bowery, and will continue issuing the free identification cards until Jan. 20, according to Councilwoman Margaret Chin’s office.
“When IDNYC first launched, people were willing to wait up to three months to get an appointment, and then walk down to the Department of Finance building on John Street. Today, I am happy to announce that those wait times are a thing of the past and that IDNYC is now in the heart of Chinatown until Jan. 20,” Chin said in a statement.
Residents can make an appointment by visiting www.nyc.gov/idnyc or calling 311. Appointments will be taken from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on weekdays until next Wednesday, according to Chin’s office.
A second pop-up enrollment site will open at Gouverneur Health, located at 227 Madison St. from Jan. 20 to Feb. 12.
Municipal IDs can be used to check out books at public libraries, open bank accounts at more than a dozen financial institutions and to sign up for free memberships at 40 cultural institutions.
The IDNYC cards can also be used as identification with police, although they cannot be used in bars.
Applying for a municipal ID is free until the end of 2016 and the cards are valid for five years from the application’s approval.
The program is open to all New Yorkers who are at least 14 years old, regardless of their immigration status, although proof of identity and residency is required.
