NY.gov ID Account Merge
USER FAQ
What is NY.gov ID?
NY.gov ID is the secure sign in service used to sign into participating online State services. With
your NY.gov ID username and password, you can log into State applications such as myDMV,
myBenefits, and the New York State of Health marketplace.
What is the NY.gov ID Account Merge process and why is it being introduced?
The NY.gov ID Account Merge process enables users to combine their multiple NY.gov user IDs
into a single primary user ID and password. Users will then be able to access online State
services across agencies and applications with a single set of credentials. This process is being
introduced to reduce the number of login details a user must remember.
When will the NY.gov ID Account Merge process begin and end?
Users will begin to be prompted by the NY.gov ID Account Merge process on April 30, 2022.
Upon login, a prompt will recommend user IDs found by the system to be merged by the user.
Completing the merge process will not be mandatory and users will be able to exit the merge
prompt at any time. Users will continue to be prompted by the merge process on each login until
the user successfully merges the recommended IDs or confirms that the recommended IDs are
not owned by them.
What do the terms “primary” and “alias” account mean?
The account a user is first logged in with when completing the NY.gov ID Account Merge
process will be known as that user’s “primary” account. All other accounts added during the
merge process will be known as that user’s “alias” accounts. The relationship between the two
types of accounts provides the meaning behind these two terms. Following the merge process,
“alias” accounts will no longer be accessible via their individual user IDs and passwords.
Instead, users must login with their “primary” account user ID and password. Access to the
“primary” and all “alias” accounts will be granted only via the “primary” account login credentials.
What if I get prompted to merge accounts but I don’t want this one to be my primary
account?
Users can click “Remind Me Later” to skip the merge process at this NY.gov ID session. After
completing the tasks for which they logged in, the user can then log log out and log in with their
other account, at which time they can merge accounts with the other being the primary account.
What if I forget a user ID or password after merging my accounts?
Following the merge process, users will no longer be able to access merged accounts with their
“alias” user IDs and passwords. Instead, users must use their “primary” credentials when
logging into their merged accounts. Users that do not remember their primary user ID and
password will be able to reset their password or request their username through existing NY.gov
ID processes.
What happens when I click on "Not Me" when prompted with an account to merge? Can I
go back and verify that account if I click “Not Me” by mistake?
Users that click on “Not Me” when presented with an account to merge will no longer be
prompted on login to merge the account. If needed, users can merge the marked account by
clicking on “Verify Additional Accounts” in the prompt and adding the account manually.
NY.gov ID Account Merge
USER FAQ
What if I own other accounts that are not prompted for me to merge? Can I still complete
the merge process on these accounts?
Users can manually add accounts to the merge process by clicking on “Verify Additional
Accounts” in the prompt.
What if I use more than one account for the same system, and I can’t lose access to
either one?
Users can click on “Not Me” to skip merging those accounts, which will allow them to keep both
accounts active.
What if I tried to add other accounts that are not prompted for me to merge, and it told
me that the account is not eligible to be merged at this time? Why can’t I merge it?
The configuration of the hundreds of systems that use NY.gov ID for login are very different. Not
all of these are ready to be merged at this time. As these systems become available for merge,
users may be prompted to merge those accounts at that time.
Someone I know got prompted to merge their accounts, but I didn’t. Why not, and how
can I merge mine?
NY.gov ID Account Merge is being rolled out slowly and incrementally to ensure that all cases
are handled correctly. All users will become eligible to merge accounts over the next few
months as account eligibility criteria is expanded.
What if I do not remember my user ID or password for account verification during the
merge process? How can I verify that account?
Users that are unable to verify a particular account during the merge process will need to first
perform a password reset or request their username through existing NY.gov ID processes. It is
advised that users not complete the merge process until they have first gathered the login
details for each account they own. Users that exit the merge process after initializing it will be
prompted to start again upon the next login.
What if I mistakenly merged an account that I did not want to merge? Can merged
accounts be unmerged?
Users can start the process of unmerging an account from their profile by contacting the New
York State Office of Information Technology Services (ITS) ITS Service Desk.
What if my question is not answered here? Is there a Help Desk to aid me?
Yes, the ITS Service Desk will be ready to aid users with the NY.gov ID Account Merge process
upon its release on April 30, 2022.
