My Glorious Morning with the DMV

I have a few questions to pose to my fellow ATSers but first the anecdote that has precipitated this thread.

I have lived in three separate states within a relatively short period of time. Being the lawful citizen that I am, I followed the rules and had my driver's license transferred from state #1 to state #2 about two years ago when I first moved there. The duration of the license from state #1 was four years. I moved to state #2 before the four year period was up, but upon surrendering my license from state #1, state #2 issued me a new resident license, also with a four year expiration.

I just moved to state #3 and when they pulled my driving record, it showed that I had valid licenses from both prior states (which is illegal). This created quite a stir and required several top secret conversations amongst my tormentor and her contemporaries. Although I remained calm and tried to be the voice of reason ("This is obviously state #2's snafu since I couldn't have possibly gotten a license from them without having to surrender state #1's license), they couldn't seem to grasp this concept. So I was told to take a seat (again) while they checked with the main office about how to handle this. Keep in mind that this entire time, they had my license from state #2 in their possession, plus my SS card and birth certificate. I'm sitting there imaging that they're going to deny my request and keep my documents leaving me up the proverbial creek.

Anyway, after what seemed like an eternity, I was summoned over to "the desk" and given a statement to read and sign which said that I understand that they are going to be investigating me for identity theft. They will give me a temporary two week license, during which time they are going to compare my picture to those in EVERY state's database, as well as Homeland Security's, to ensure that I have no other licenses from additional unknown states. So I'm to trust that I will hear from them with their determination before the two weeks are up (of course they took and immediately cashed my check for a four year license). As tempted as I was to make a scene, I let my better senses prevail or I surely would have walked out of there without any license.

So now I have no choice but to wait the two weeks and hope that they do their due diligence promptly. Since there's no identity theft here, I'm not worried about the ultimate outcome; however, I'm curious as to whether this has happened to anyone else. Also, if your name is run through the Homeland Security database, does that not always stay with you?

Yes, this is yet another example of our government's incompetency, but the reality is that we are forced to sweat out the complications they create and hope it all works out - a concept I don't have too much confidence in. Can anyone lend some encouraging words from their own experience?

Yes, a previous member here said it happened to him (earlier this spring...I think?)
He was accused of having a valid license in his old state. If I remember correctly, he had to go to court over it.
Hope everything works out for you. It sure as heck wasn't your fault.

Theres no doubt ,you are a terrorist or is that tourist.No genuine law abiding citizen would remain calm during that ordeal, They should just have checkpoints at the border crossings to avoid this kerfuffle ,Ver are your papers fraulein.?

reply to post by will615

Well, not necessarily encouraging words but honest ones for which I thank you. I'm still hoping I'll be touched by a bit of luck because I'm waaaay past due.

Thanks for responding!

Maybe your driving license is a new form of national identity card.

In the UK there was talk of a national identity card but this was scrapped.

However, I wouldn't be surprised if the UK used the driving license as a form of national identity card.
I feel it already is starting to be used in this way.

Why is it that everyone has to be pigeon holed, labelled and tracked in the western world ?
so much for freedoms.

Originally posted by 12voltz
Theres no doubt ,you are a terrorist or is that tourist.No genuine law abiding citizen would remain calm during that ordeal, They should just have checkpoints at the border crossings to avoid this kerfuffle ,Ver are your papers fraulein.?

Lol. I've learned, unfortunately through experience, that there are certain situations during which you need to sit on your hands to hide your white knuckles. Diplomacy will work 80% of the time but when you're up against a power-starved person who happens to be in the driver's seat at that moment (no pun intended), he/she is just looking for a reason to knock you down.

Thanks for the chuckle!

TG

when i took my son to the DMV to take his test, the rude cow at the desk asked me for my ID, so i took out my DL that ive had for 35 years and handed it to her and she said that they dont accept state issued DL's as ID!

Just a quick update. I received my license without any additional angst, thank goodness.

Though I'm happy with the outcome, it doesn't negate the fact that yet another government snafu cost the taxpayers an unknown, but certainly unnecessary, expense in this ridiculous investigation. Sorry to be a cynic but governmental inefficiency, on all levels, has become a joke and a money pit for all of us.

reply to post by timidgal


Dear timidgal,

Glad to hear that you got your license and that all is better. A couple of points.

Also, if your name is run through the Homeland Security database, does that not always stay with you?

I hate to tell you this; but, we are all in the government's databases. When they ran you, nobody cared because they didn't have a reason to. So whether you are in the database or not doesn't effect you. I personally am on a watch list (not a no-fly list, those are different) and I have no idea why (I belong to no organizations and am not political).

The second thing I wanted to point out was that you said they were comparing your face to all the other states databases for driver's licenses. What that should point out is that facial recognition technology makes your face your new ID, it is your national ID and soon to be your international ID. A number of years ago, the federal government instituted the RealID act, that had requirements on states which have been told many states did not go along with; but, in the end the result was the same. Your biometrics are your ID which is why they could run your face in others states databases and Homeland Security has access to them all.

Originally posted by timidgal
Just a quick update. I received my license without any additional angst, thank goodness.

Though I'm happy with the outcome, it doesn't negate the fact that yet another government snafu cost the taxpayers an unknown, but certainly unnecessary, expense in this ridiculous investigation. Sorry to be a cynic but governmental inefficiency, on all levels, has become a joke and a money pit for all of us.

And if somebody else had been victimized by identity theft, surely they would have excoriated the incompetent government for giving the thief new identification without checking the history with other states.

all that so you can get a new federal id card.

reply to post by diddy1234

just about all of the states are signed up for the federal id they use each states license.Real ID
this pisses many people off.