Grr-r-rrr DMV and DH

Faith,Hope,Love

What's worse than having to go to the DMV to renew your driver's license?  Having to take your DH with you.  Our state became a Real ID state which means to renew your license you have to have all kinds of proof to show that you are really you and that you live at the address that's on your license.  I had all of my paperwork ready to go and an appointment for this morning.  At the last-minute DH wanted to go with me.  I have a hard time saying no, so I took him.  We got there and the place was a zoo.  They had 12 stations open to help people, but there were 49 people already sitting in assigned seats waiting to get to one of those 12 stations.  Plus, there were roughly 20 to 30 people outside waiting in a line labeled walk-ins.  I thought we were all set since I had my paperwork and an appointment.  I walked in and presented my paperwork.  The lady at the desk said it was in complete.  I showed her the letter I received and showed her where it listed everything I needed to bring.  Then, she showed me in a totally different section of the letter that I needed a certified copy of my marriage license to prove my name change.  Grrrr!!  She said I would need to get the marriage license, bring back all my paperwork and stand in the walk-in line and wait until they could get to me.  I don't even know where my marriage license is!!! Then my day just went downhill after that.  Just had to get that off my chest!!

Rescue mom

I /we had to go through Real ID process a few years ago. It was awful, horrible, time-consuming to gather the info, complicated about what was acceptable. Then going to the office, as you say. It was far worse of a nightmare than anything more “medical” we had to go through.

I was also married before, far away,  so I had to get all those related papers—certified. And, before I realized DH had Alzheimer’s —he was never organized anyway—he lost all his needed documents, even birth certificate. (And a lot more)

He went with me because he needed an official ID. I knew it would be bad, but I thought he *had* to be there. Then the clerk struggled to follow the paper trail and process us. It took almost five hours WITH an appointment, which they were very late for anyway.

You have huge sympathy from me. Hopefully other offices handle visits better. But I cannot imagine taking a PWD with more serious problems through that. It was crowded, noisy, and a lot of moving around.

Dementia aside, I really think it is much worse process for women,  because we likely had name changes with marriage. That’s what really gripes me most about the whole Real ID thing…not to mention So. freaking. Many. documents. Certified…..

Faith,Hope,Love

DH seems to react to my emotions.  He could tell I was upset by the whole experience.  So, I think it made him more confused than normal.  After we got home, he looked at me and said, "So what did the Doctor say?"  At that point I just cracked up laughing and told him we hadn't been to the Doctor.  He said, "Are you sure?"   I guess he remembered all the people and confusion and just associated it with a Doctor's visit.

ImMaggieMae

That is why I still don’t have a Real ID. I remember going through all of that name change crap and certified copy stuff to get a passport. Unfortunately, it expired around 10 years ago and I can’t use that for the Real ID thing. And standing or sitting in a crowded room in an area of high Covid cases is something I don’t want to risk.

Crushed

Everyone one I know found the easiest thing was just to renew their  passport

 A valid passport and proof of residence and social security is all any state can require for the REAL id act 

Faith,Hope,Love

Florida requires a birth certificate, two statements or bills with your current address on it, your social security card and any documents indicating name changes.  That's where they got me.  I've got to produce marriage certificates.  And, since I was previously married, I've got to show them both.

Quilting brings calm

You can renew your driver’s license without making it a Real ID.  As Crushed  says, your passport is a Real ID.   You only need a Real ID to fly and to enter a federal building.   

You should be able to renew your driver’s license and then later take all your paperwork in and turn it into a Real ID.   

You can contact the county clerk where you got married to get a copy of your marriage license.  Which you will need to get social security based on your spouses record or  vice versa.  I had to produce mine to prove my marriage when I had my spouse on my employee health insurance. 

Faith,Hope,Love

The paperwork I got in the mail and the girl at DMV said that I could not renew my license unless I became compliant with the Real ID Act.  I don't have a passport so that wouldn't help.  The paperwork said that Florida is becoming a Real ID state and that all new and renewing licenses would be required to be a Real ID.  

Since it's a long weekend and county offices will be closed, I'll try looking for those marriage licenses.  But if I can't find them, I'll definitely take your advice QBC and contact county clerk offices to get certified copies.

Rescue mom

Our passports had expired. In that case, or if you don’t have one, a passport is no help.

Crushed

Faith,Hope,Love wrote:

Florida requires a birth certificate, two statements or bills with your current address on it, your social security card and any documents indicating name changes.  That's where they got me.  I've got to produce marriage certificates.  And, since I was previously married, I've got to show them both.

if you have a valid passport in your current name that is enough

 https://www.flhsmv.gov/driver-licenses-id-cards/real-id/

For U.S. Citizens:

• Valid, unexpired U.S. passport
    

• Both Citizens and Non-Citizens will need to bring:

• Your Social Security Card or proof of your social security number.
  • A list of documents that provide proof of the social security number can be found on our What to Bring page.
• Two documents that show your principal residence
  • A list of these kinds of documents can be found on our What to Bring page

saltom

I renewed my license and got a real ID in California three years ago. I happened to have a hip revision that was not behaving at the time.  Took my walker with me to the DMV appointment and got royal treatment - a chair, help with the setting up the computer written test. They even let me use a DMV letter to me as proof of address.  Maybe you can borrow a walker. Good Luck getting all your paper work.

GothicGremlin

My question is do you really need a Real ID?  Like Crushed said, all you really need is your regular driver's license and a valid passport. That's what I've been doing for years, and I have no plans to get a Real ID. 

When I needed to renew my sister's ID card (not a DL), I just got her a regular ID card, not a Real ID card -- I just don't need that hassle. She's in memory care now, so she's not going to be flying anywhere. But if I need her ID for some official purpose that requires a Real ID, I'd just use her non-compliant ID + her valid passport.

I looked at some info on Florida and here's what I found --

You can be granted with a regular ID card that does not comply with the REAL ID standards, in this case, you can make a good use of your ID, and it will be valid for certain purposes but NOT FOR OFFICIAL ONES (The ID must have an inscription informing that the card is not valid for "Official purposes"), so in case you need to board an aircraft for a regional flight for example, you will have to use your passport.

Here's the link:
https://www.realidinfo.net/en/fl-florida

So it sounds like Florida is just fine with a regular ID card/DL and a passport if you need to get into a federal building or fly somewhere.

 
Also, Ed Hasbrouck (a long-time privacy activist who I know) has a great resource site "Papers Please". Here's the link to his Real ID archive:
https://papersplease.org/wp/category/real-id/

Faith,Hope,Love

All I know is that the lady at the desk told me that Florida has become Real ID compliant and that all driver's license renewals would have to have the Real ID star in the upper right-hand corner.  So I'll just have to supply all the paper work they need.  UGH!

Kevcoy

So sorry you are going through this.  The real ID process is a real pain.  DH had to get his real ID during the height of Covid in 2020.  We had to make an appointment and drive to the other side of town.  We had to wait outside until they called us to come in.  When we got the call they wouldn't let me in with him.  I tried to explain the situation but no, I had to wait outside.  About a half hour later someone came outside to get me to help him out.  As much as I wanted to I didn't say, "I told you so."

Rescue mom

Remember, we’re talking Florida here…Florida state law requires new and re-newed driver licenses to be Real ID. (I think there were some postponements during peak covid, but not so much now).

Also, I think Faith is talking about her own DL, not her husband.  She most likely does need a driver license, passports don’t work for that.  If her own DL has or is about to expire, then she needs a new one, which must be Real ID. 

In my case, my passport had expired, so it was not acceptable (in this office). I got a (re)newest passport at the same time, and IIRC that took all the same documents….if my passport had been valid, that might have helped with the DL. Not sure, since it wasn’t.

Faith,Hope,Love

Thanks Rescue Mom.  It is my DL that needs renewing.  I don't let DH drive anymore.  And TaDa!!!  I found all the paperwork I need.  It was buried way in the back of a closet.  Since I'll have to go stand in the walk-in line, I'm thinking of getting there before they open so hopefully, I won't have to wait so long.  I'd love to go without DH but I doubt that's going to be possible.  He usually wants to go.  So it will probably be another adventure.

John1965

It’s also linked to voter suppression efforts. 

The passport route was the easier avenue.