Fun Times at the DMV

It’s that time again – time to renew my driver’s license.  This year the U.S. has something new called a Real I.D.  It takes the place of your driver’s license and is required if you want to fly any airline within the U.S.  You can still get a regular license but it will not allow you to board planes and fly anywhere.  Of course, there is much more paperwork involved for the Real I.D.  Since I had to renew my license anyway, I wanted to get that type of license as we do occasionally book flights within the states. 

I knew the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) was a stickler for paperwork so over a month ago I studied up on all the requirements.  Most of the paperwork required was fairly basic: two proofs of residency, Social Security card and birth certificate.  However, if you ever had any change of name you have to show certified papers proving the name change.  I have been married twice so I had to have a certified copy of both marriage licenses and a certified copy of my divorce decree from the first marriage.  When I checked all my papers, I had everything I needed but for some reason my copy of my current marriage license was not certified.  Well, Tom and I were married in this county so a few weeks ago I went to the county court house and obtained a certified copy.  That was not too bad, and then I was ready to get my license.

Dept of Motor Vehicles

I called my local DMV to try to set up an appointment and found they were closed for two weeks due to someone employed there having Covid.  Great, that put me close to the expiration date of my license.  Keep in mind the DMV was already behind since they had been closed for over two months during the lockdown.  Today was the first day they were re-opened so I was there bright and early before they were even open.  Guess what?  About 45 other people were also there at that time.  That made for quite a long (socially spaced) line wrapped around two buildings.  I knew there would be a wait and I had to get my license.  I waited over two hours outside in the hot sun and then another hour and a half inside when finally, they called my name. 

People waiting in line

I pulled out all my paperwork and the clerk said it looked like I had everything I needed.  Then she looked again at my first marriage license and told me it wasn’t correct.  What?  It was a certified copy but whoever certified it 50 years ago had failed to stamp a file number on it!  They could not accept it and I could not get my Real I.D.  Arrrg!  I now have to contact an office in another state (California) in order to get a certified new copy of a marriage license to someone I have not been married to for over 40 years!  My driver’s license expires on my birthday this coming Sunday, so I went ahead and got a non-Real I.D. license for now.  I will have to order the new ex-marriage license copy and then go through all of this again sometime before the deadline for the Real I.D. which is October of 2021.  What a mess!

Sorry this post is so long, but maybe it will help someone in this country that is trying to get their driver’s license.  Many of you have asked me about how Tom is doing and I can happily tell you that he is doing very well.  He starts Cardiac Rehab this Friday and will continue with that for 12 weeks.  Thank you all again for your kind thoughts and messages!