Upvote:2
The TSA identification guidelines include the following:
- Driver's licenses or other state photo identity cards issued by Department of Motor Vehicles (or equivalent)
All valid New York DMV-isssued photo documents should qualify, including
Your friends may be referring to the REAL ID act, which imposes a federal standard for state-issued IDs. Even though the original law was passed in 2005, however, most states are not yet in compliance, as constitutionally the federal government cannot force states to adopt the standard. Therefore, most states have received extensions.
New York's extension expires October 2017 at this writing, but they are almost certainly going to receive an additional one. In the unlikely chance they do not, you can still use any of the other forms of ID listed on the TSA page, including your foreign passport if it is still valid.
Upvote:3
If by driver permit you mean your New York Drivers License, then yes that is an acceptable ID. TSA is not starting to enforce the RealID rules until January 2018.