Driver's License Renewal Stupidty

My wife just tried to get her Georgia license renewed. Thanks to the insanely stupid new rules she was denied. All of the utilities are in my name, so she brought with her a few bank statements and the cell phone bill. Keep in mind, her CURRENT license states our address, which matches the bank statements and the cell phone bill. Nope, not good enough for the clerk. Never mind that the documents she brought with her (lewis black) ARE ON THE APPROVED DOCUMENT LIST! (/lewis black) Apparently since she doesn't have a job (stay at home mom) she is considered a "dependent" and I have to go to the DMV with her to vouch for her identity. Are you kidding me? So tomorrow I get to gather all of MY documentation and present it to the apparently very fickle DMV worker and beg for approval.

Serves her right for trying to leave the kitchen.

I support people having a valid, current ID that is based on actual proven records. However, if they told her what documents to bring and then denied them, that sucks. And you have to vouch for your wife? So she's allowed to vote only if her husband says that it's OK? Susan B. Anthony is rolling in her grave.

Zomby Woof wrote: Serves her right for trying to leave the kitchen.

Frankly I'm surprised I wasn't being called to bail her out of jail for assaulting a government peon. She had to to find a sitter for our kids (one of which is 4 months old). She'd much rather have been in the kitchen.

I just found the "you have to bring your husband with you clause" on the DMV site: "For dependent parents, unexpired GA driver’s license, permit, or ID card issued to a relative residing in the same household." And since my ID doesn't travel without me, I read that as I need to be present at the time.

pinchvalve wrote: I support people having a valid, current ID that is based on actual proven records. However, if they told her what documents to bring and then denied them, that sucks. And you have to vouch for your wife? So she's allowed to vote only if her husband says that it's OK? Susan B. Anthony is rolling in her grave.

To play devils advocate, the same thing would have (should have) happened if the roles were reversed and Sleifan was a stay-at-home dad.

Ugh. This reminds me that I have to go get my license photo taken. I went last week and pulled #172 while they were serving #119. I sat for an hour and they were only to #127. Rather than bludgeoning them to death with my elbows I just went home.

There are few places more irritating than the DMV - you have to sit there and watch them move like slugs, taking 5 minutes for each one knowing that you could clear the whole room by just lining everyone up and taking all the pics one after the other, then telling everyone to come back tomorrow to pick them up.

What's worked for me in the past is to show up about 10 minutes before they close. The employees get seriously motivated about that time and they slam the 100 people thoruhg in about 15 minutes.

I have found that if I drive to Key Largo, 125 miles round trip, I can be in and out in 15 minutes. Find a facility way out in the boonies, worth a shot.

Oh, don't forget she may have to have her birth certificate to show her maiden name. I believe I heard that crap on the radio a month or so ago.

Edit: Here is the link

Wow, NYS is so nice. Even when I got my "Enchanced" license, all I needed was a couple simple documents. Regular renewal is a peice of cake.

It was a bit of a mess trying to get an address changed due to my CCW. The state needs to know first. No, the sheriff needs to know first, no first you need it changed, THEN you go to the sheriff. Luckily, since I was updating security licensing at the same time, the county straightened it out.

Other than that, my DMV isn't too bad to deal with. Really can't complain much. Slefain, your situation, is just absurd.

Pffft, move to Washington. We renew our DL's online. I haven't been in a DOL in 8 years.

My Ohio story.
Birthday on the 27th and license needs to be renewed.
Buying house and closing on 30th.

Dilemma: what address to put on license?
The address that I can prove but will move from in three days, or the residence I will soon have for the term of the license?

I was not sure what I would need at the BMV. I am told basically a utility bill or a bank statement.
I go to my local Credit Union where they very kindly change my address to whatever I tell them. Before I leave, I ask if they could print me a statement. This is good enough for BMV.

Where it had potential to get real odd was at closing on the house; you need to present ID. I present an ID that already has the new address. No one commented and no one seemed to notice.

Is NOW (Nation orgization for women) still around? I think I would send them in with her and not you.

Javelin wrote: Pffft, move to Washington. We renew our DL's online. I haven't been in a DOL in 8 years.

Pfft, try getting registered to work in Healthcare there. What a pain in the butt! Get finger printed, using their stupid form, mail it in and wait. Then wait some more. Wait a little more. Then get a poorly photocopied/faxed letter in the mail stating their machine couldn't read their own finger print card and would you please go do it again on your only day off during business hours.

They couldn't berking call? Now she has to wait another week before she can go do the printing process again. Pay the fee, again. Mail it in, again. Wait, AGAIN!

She's a naturalized citizen, her 'prints and details are already in the system, just go and get them you lazy BERKS!

When the wife worked in Oregon? Show up with ID, sign the background check papers, take the drug test and get to berking work.

Sorry, this is the rant thread, but this sort of BS red tape without any follow up is just lazy and a waste of time.

Javelin wrote: Pffft, move to Washington. We renew our DL's online. I haven't been in a DOL in 8 years.

PA too - but you still have to go to the DMV to get the picture license made. That is the hell I am trapped in.

Thank God ours is just slow as Christmas. Otherwise it's pretty mundane.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Javelin wrote: Pffft, move to Washington. We renew our DL's online. I haven't been in a DOL in 8 years.

PA too - but you still have to go to the DMV to get the picture license made. That is the hell I am trapped in.

NY too too. Last time I was in office was related to my motorcycle license.

my one recollection of the GA DMV was me going in to get my DMV record printed out for a job... I had to stand in a line for over 2 hrs to even get up to talk to the receptionist to be told I had to go home and come back with something else... once you got past the receptionist you got sent to the next window where you got to wait even more...

hate the GA DMV

Around here, the DMV isn't too bad. Renewals are online. The last time I had to go in, I showed up and was done in under 30 minutes. That was for a replacement drivers license after losing one.

They have a person just inside the door you see first. That person checks to make sure you have all your paperwork in order before you ever get to the counter. If you are missing something, you know about it before standing in line.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote:

Javelin wrote: Pffft, move to Washington. We renew our DL's online. I haven't been in a DOL in 8 years.

PA too - but you still have to go to the DMV to get the picture license made. That is the hell I am trapped in.

Yes.. but the DMV has nothing to do with titling or registering a car.. you have to go to a private notory for that...

NJ's DMV got seriously overhauled about 10 years ago or so.. now you can get in and out in a reasonable amount of time unless you try to do it at the end of the month.

Toyman01 wrote: They have a person just inside the door you see first. That person checks to make sure you have all your paperwork in order before you ever get to the counter. If you are missing something, you know about it before standing in line.

Us too. It makes things so much quicker. Also for another mini-line.

Toyman01 wrote: Around here, the DMV isn't too bad. Renewals are online. The last time I had to go in, I showed up and was done in under 30 minutes. That was for a replacement drivers license after losing one.

In GA, you can do replacement DLs($5) and address changes(free) online but renewal you have to go to the office.

In reply to Datsun1500:

Think what might've happened if you'd let your DL lapse! Mine expired before I renewed it (yeah, yeah, back to the procrastinating thing), and I was fortunate enough to get in before the new rules took effect.

Actually, I only knew about the new rules coming because the guy at the DMV--the very NICE guy at the DMV, which is why I drive up to Flagler county instead of going around the corner to the eat-beasts at the Volusia DMV--noticed my license needed to renewed when I took Tommy for his license a couple of years ago, and gave me the lowdown on how to get it renewed, or else I'd probably be running from the INS right about now.

Margie

My license was set to expire towards the end of August, no renewal letter but the CA DMV website had instructions on what to do if you met the criteria for auto/simple renewal, so I did just that, printed the form, sent it in with my payment at the beginning of August.

The check was cashed the very day I received my new license, at the end of August, after the expiration date on my old license.

Not sure if it's like this in other states, but my AAA offices handle most DMV transactions, cleaner, better informed and friendlier staff and er... customers. And less wait.

Another good thing. My DL is good for 10 years. I don't have to worry about it until 2017.