Uh, sure, I’ve renewed my driver’s license. I showed the old one, got an eye exam, paid my fee, and got a new one. I didn’t have to dig up a birth certificate, proof of address, or anything else. Why should I have?
I didn’t show any id when I registered to vote, I just swore or affirmed my identity. My town does require me to return the census mailed to me to remain on the voting rolls. Well, at least one person in the household needs to return it…
Recently, doctors’ offices have started asking for a driver’s license. But that’s new. And the old unreal id is fine.
I once worked with a guy who didn’t drive. He had no photo ID, but needed to get a passport. I went to the passport office with him. He showed a birth certificate, and I swore or affirmed that this person was the same person as named on the birth certificate. I don’t think I had to show any id to do that. (I’m not certain, as I was renewing my passport at the same time.) My relationship with him was, “I know him”.
Yeah, thirty years ago, it would have been unusual for any services in New York to be contingent on showing photo ID. It was one of the last states to put photographs on drivers licenses, in 1984.
I looked up how to register in my state today. Today you need something like id (they like a driver’s license). The form specifies that this is requested due to a federal requirement. I wonder how long ago that became a requirement.
But you don’t need more than the current, “unreal” id, except that you have to swear you are eligible to vote. You certainly don’t need a birth certificate, proof of name change, … And it asks you for where you live and separately, where you get your mail. It’s clear from the instructions that if you are a homeless person who is living under a bridge, you can use that as your legal residence, without proof beyond your swearing to the truth if your claim.
I can totally picture some little old lady, who never learned to drive and wasn’t interested in voting, and now she wants to visit her grandkids who’ve moved out of state.
Data point:
I’m a 100% legal full U.S. citizen, and my birth certificate isn’t even in English. I don’t think they have counties in my country of birth. My current legal name doesn’t match the birth certificate, either, because I changed it when I got married.
So I don’t fit most of your neat little boxes, either.
California, for another one, which I find rather surprising.
My current Oregon DL is valid for air travel, but it doesn’t have a star on it. Does this mean I have to get a new license next year? Not that it really matters much, seeing as how I’m already in the habit of using my passport to get to the concourse.
Good question! I looked at my state’s requirements and it appears I’d need to show ALL of the following:
Identity; (e.g. Unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. birth certificate) (I have a passport; birth certificate is in my maiden name)
Legal Presence; (e.g. Unexpired U.S. passport or U.S. birth certificate) (see above)
Social Security Number; and (e.g. Social Security card or W-2 form) (pretty sure I could lay hands on my SS card - but it’s in my maiden name; I don’t think I had it reissued when I got married)
Residency (two proofs required). (e.g. utility bills, mortgage statements, state driver’s license displaying current residential street address) (shouldn’t be an issue - though I could spoof either of the bill / statement documents)
Proof of any name changes (e.g. marriage certificates or divorce decrees) (I have that… somewhere).
Note: If the name on your identity document is different than your legal name, you must show proof of your name change.
If you keep your passport current, you shouldn’t really NEED the RealID version of your license.
I don’t know if the fact that I formally changed my name with Social Security when I got married makes any difference in the “birth certificate is a different person” situation.
I have TSA pre-check / Global Entry; I wonder if that would serve as one of the above documents.
My license (not RealID compliant) is good for another 6 years. I suppose I’ll try to get the upgraded version then just to have it.
Huh? California’s been offering Real ID compliant driver’s licenses since last year at least. I don’t recall exactly when they first started offering them, and it’s true that they were delayed beyond whatever the original deadline was, but they’re compliant now. In fact there were lots of complaints about long wait times as everyone rushed down to the DMV to get one as soon as they became available and they didn’t have enough staff to handle the larger crowds.
I got one a few months ago. My license was expiring soon anyway and as it happened this time I needed to go down to the DMV and take an eye test, so I just brought along my passport, W2, and a water bill and got a Real ID at the same time. Turned out I didn’t actually need the utility bill, as the letter from the DVM telling me I needed to go in for the eye test counted as proof of residence and I also had that with me. So for me, personally, it wasn’t a huge hassle, although I understand that isn’t the case for everyone.
California did also make if very clear in their communications that you didn’t have to get a Real ID; if you don’t have those documents you can still get a non-compliant license that’s valid for driving but won’t be accepted by the TSA for air travel.
Also true in NY; though whether it’s going to stay true in future years seems to be in question. The clerk wasn’t even sure that I wouldn’t need to bring in proof all over again to renew the RealID when it runs out, because, as she said, the laws have been changing and might change again.
NY is offering three levels; there’s an additional level that costs more but allows crossing certain international borders, including Canada and Mexico. I got the middle level, because I do have a passport, but I don’t want to ordinarily carry it around when travelling within the USA.
In November, 1976 I went into the license branch in Indiana to get my first driver’s license. I took the written test, smiled for the camera (Indiana was the first to do picture licenses) and walked out with my shiny new license in hand.
Fast forward to Georgia, 2108-
I was informed by letter of the new requirements for license renewal, including a social security card, birth certificate, old license, and a passport or utility bill with my name with the names matching on the license, bill, SS card, and birth certificate. Say my birth certificate name is Fullname Middle Last. When I was 13, I had Full M. Last put on my social security card, but as an adult I went by Fullname M. Last on all bills and my Georgia driver’s license. I called the DMV, and was informed that Fullname M. Last would do, but Full M. Last would not. Never mind that the IRS and Social Security gave not a rat’s ass about it since 1976. Off to the Social Security office I go with old license, birth certificate, and a bill in hand. I explain myself and the whole process takes ten minutes. The new Social Security Card arrived in the mail the same week.
Off to Georgia DMV-
I hand the girl the documents (after filling out some info online at home), smile for the camera, and walk out with my nice new temporary paper license. The real one with the star showed up about five days later in the mail. Why was Indiana able to hand me a picture ID license in the license branch while Georgia, 43 years later, has no such ability? Do other states still mail the license? Anyone live where they’re finished and handed over at renewal?
Illinois used to give you your license on the spot as long back as I can remember. Then a couple of years ago they also started with the temporary paper license and mailing the permanent license.
I guess that proves that you can at least receive (or steal) mail at the address you gave them and that you didn’t just give them a completely random address. And I think I read somewhere that with the mail procedure all of the licenses come from one centrally monitored high-security location rather that a whole bunch of little offices spread around the state, so there are fewer locations where someone could steal blanks or issue illicit cards.
The temporary on the spot, wait for the real one in the mail has been the procedure in NY for a long time, I think since they started issuing photo licenses in 1984 or so. It’s unrelated to Real ID.
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Indiana can’t issue you the RealID license on the spot, either - I live in Indiana and I, too, got the paper copy and had my permanent card mailed to me.
Yes, it is a big deal.
At at least some BMV’s they tell people that the paper license is just as good as the permanent card. It’s not. Sure, if you get pulled over by the police and they ask to see your license it works, but for nothing else. You can’t buy anything requiring proof of age/ID (in the store I work in that’s alcohol, ammunition, fireworks, R-rated movies, BB/pellet guns, and about half the cough syrup as well as Sudafed/pseudoephedrine). You can’t get into venues requiring you to be age 21 and over with it (if you’re old enough no one cards you it’s not a problem, but since the cut-off for that is around 40 it’s inconvenient for many). You can’t use it as ID to rent a car.
So… maybe none of the above is a concern of yours. It is a concern and inconvenience to many. I’ve seen some people using passports until their permanent card comes in the mail, but many are just stuck without a usable ID for that time period.
At the DMV in New York they handed me back my old license along with the temporary one, and told me to use the old one for picture ID until the new one showed up (presumably along with the temporary slip, at least for driving purposes.) I didn’t need to show ID to anyone in the interval, as it turned out [ETA: so I don’t know how well it would have worked].
Ditto here in CT. I kept my old license and the new one was mailed. I had no problems, but I went before my birthday so my old license hadn’t expired before my new one arrived.
Ohio used to give them out in person, but just recently stopped. I renewed in 2017 and got it on the spot, and the change happened after that. Supposedly the new super-duper-secure machines, necessary for the citizens of the state to qualify for first class airplane status, are too secret and expensive to plop down in every old BMV office.
Yep, that’s probably the best strategy (and the one I used) although I’m old enough now that I’m seldom asked for ID for buying alcohol anymore.
Of course, not everyone does it that way - just yesterday I had someone in the store hand me an expired ID and the paper copy, trying to explain the situation. I said sorry, I do understand what’s going on here, but I can’t sell you that Grey Goose because I can’t accept either of these.