Reminder to get your FREE New York City Identification Card to get FREE admission at more than 40 top NYC museums, zoos and other attractions, discounts for shopping and for theater and sports events.
The IDNYC Card also can be used as a library card to check out books and CDs.
The IDNYC card also can be used to help you open a bank account, get into a government building, and more - including as an official government-issued ID to vote.
Th IDNYC card can be used as a library card, for all three New York systems - the NYPL, the Queens Library and the Brooklyn Library. It is the only card accepted across all three systems.
The IDNYC card is for New York City residents only - sorry visitors - since it requires proof of residency to get one.
Any NYC resident over the age of 10 (ten) can get an IDNYC card, and enrollment is free.
The program was launched in 2015 as a way to give New Yorkers a way to cut the cost of culture.
Plus, it’s a valid identification card for those who don’t have a driver’s license or another government identification with a photo, such as a US Passport or Global Entry or TSA card.
Free Museum Admission with IDNYC Card
The IDNYC card is a free pass for admission to top museums including the American Museum of Natural History, the Bronx Zoo and the Queens Museum.
More than 670,000 New Yorkers applied for the card in its first year in 2015, so you are in good company.
If you are not a NYC resident, or if you haven’t applied for an IDNYC card yet, you can visit museums FREE on specific days and times.
There also are discounts for shopping, and for sporting events, including for the New York Nets.
See the complete list of IDNYC benefits here, including how to apply. Simply, the list of benefits is too long and wide-ranging to publish here.
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How to Apply Online for an IDNYC Card
You can now start your IDNYC application online.
With the IDNYC online portal you can:
- Select your language: English, Español (Spanish), 简化字 (Chinese), Русский язык (Russian), Kreyòl Ayisyen (Haitian Creole), 한국어 (Korean), বাংলা (Bengali), Polski (Polish) and لعربية (Arabic).
- Read our application instructions including, eligibility and document requirements.
- Fill out and submit our application form online, so you won’t have to complete any paper work when you come to the enrollment center for your appointment.
- Select the documents you are going to bring to the enrollment center on the day of your appointment.
- Schedule or reschedule an appointment for an enrollment center.
- Check your application status.
- Send IDNYC a message if you never received your card in the mail.
The laminated card arrives in the mail 10 days to two weeks later, and you can start using it immediately.
You can also renew your card online - I did.
Be sure to submit adequate proof of residency - a NY State driver’s license with your address will do it.
If you don’t have a driver’s license, a US Passport plus a rent or utility bill to prove your address will work, too.
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This article was published originally in 2015 and is updated and re-published periodically, including in 2021
why is it only for NYC residents
The IDNYC card is issued by the NYC government for NYC residents. There are credit cards and other programs which offer free admission to NYC museums, and we regularly publish a list of free NYC museum days and hours, but the IDNYC card is for NYC residents only.