topic Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles in Community Chat

My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

Jordan2 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:02:42 GMT

I went Friday to get my license changed to the Enhanced license we will need in October 2020 to board a domestic flight ( I think you can also use a passport). I live in New York, I went to the Garden City DMV. They open at 8:30, I got there at 7:45 ( I went with my sister and two nieces). There was a long line to get in. Once in you tell a worker your business, and get a ticket ( like at the bakery). Hold tight to that ticket, if you lose it you have to get another one, at the back of the line. You then stand on line and have your documents checked ( there were a lot of people who got turned away). They want an awful lot from you, I had my Birth Certificate ( no copies original), Social Security card, Driver's License, and my bank statement ( to show your address). One document has to have your full given name ( including full middle name not just an initial). If you are married and have a different name than on your Birth Certificate, you need to show a passport or marriage license. Than you sit and wait for your number to be called, get your picture taken and have an eye test. You then are told to sit and wait for your number to be called again. My number was U822, I had to wait until they were into U900 + numbers before I was called to have my documents scanned, my application processed, and to pay. I was there for 4 hours! Oh yeah, they had to close the doors for awhile because we were over the capacity limit there is by law. There has got to be a better way of doing this. As October gets closer it's only going to get worse. I went home Friday with a headache!

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

Shepherd — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:11:55 GMT

FYI...........paragraphs help the reader.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

proudlyfromNJ — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:12:51 GMT

Ours has been a mess recently mostly because of new law allowing illegals get a license and of course the usual crowd for the enhanced one. Ours is the only motor vehicle in the county.

I renew by mail and will use passport if I need to fly.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

tucsongal — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:14:03 GMT

I need to get this done and I’m not looking forward to it. I plan on having to go back more than once for some reason or other LOL.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

tends2dogs — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:16:20 GMT

When my husband went to get his, he took a number and sat down in a roomful of people to wait. He heard someone say something about having an appointment. He asked about that and was told you can go online and make an appointment. Appointments have priority. He left, went home and made the appointment. It was quick and easy.

The day I went, I waited about an hour. I did, however, have to leave and go to the courthouse to get documented proof of something, I can't remember now. Thankfully, it was in the same town. If you have been married, then divorced, then married again (for example), you have to show the documentation of how your name has changed - from birth certificate name to present name. It is easy for most men, but for women who change their name at marriage, it can be a lot of paperwork.

My advice, make an appointment.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

golding76 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:19:49 GMT

I should have one heck of a time!

Only recently did I begin to worry because my original birth certificate has an anglicized version of my first name and not the name with which I have entered schools and universities throughout this nation, gotten a passport and married twice. (The final vowel is different.)

No one questioned anything, ever.

I don't think I'll be able to prove who I am even though I've lived in my skin for multiple decades.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

tends2dogs — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:20:45 GMT

@Jordan2 I didn't have to have my social security card. Also, they wouldn't take the original birth certificate, only photo copies from the courthouse. No bank account statement was needed either.

Is it different in each state?

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

esmerelda — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:20:51 GMT

@Jordan2 You got it done and that's what counts!

I'm going to take what I've got handy and do what will probably turn out to be a dry run if they send me away to bring in more information.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

VaBelle35 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:21:21 GMT

@Jordan2 wrote:
I went Friday to get my license changed to the Enhanced license we will need in October 2020 to board a domestic flight ( I think you can also use a passport). I live in New York, I went to the Garden City DMV. They open at 8:30, I got there at 7:45 ( I went with my sister and two nieces). There was a long line to get in. Once in you tell a worker your business, and get a ticket ( like at the bakery). Hold tight to that ticket, if you lose it you have to get another one, at the back of the line. You then stand on line and have your documents checked ( there were a lot of people who got turned away). They want an awful lot from you, I had my Birth Certificate ( no copies original), Social Security card, Driver's License, and my bank statement ( to show your address). One document has to have your full given name ( including full middle name not just an initial). If you are married and have a different name than on your Birth Certificate, you need to show a passport or marriage license. Than you sit and wait for your number to be called, get your picture taken and have an eye test. You then are told to sit and wait for your number to be called again. My number was U822, I had to wait until they were into U900 + numbers before I was called to have my documents scanned, my application processed, and to pay. I was there for 4 hours! Oh yeah, they had to close the doors for awhile because we were over the capacity limit there is by law. There has got to be a better way of doing this. As October gets closer it's only going to get worse. I went home Friday with a headache!

@Jordan2 Except at the bakery, you get something delish at the end of your wait. LOL Thanks for the great NY memory. I don't think I've ever been to a bakery outside of NY that did tickets.

My DMV Real ID experience was 90 minutes with a lot of back and forth about my IDs. So I don't feel so bad now.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

PINKdogWOOD — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:23:25 GMT

@Jordan2 For sure it's a longer process. I needed to renew my license last April so I already have my new travel ID. I had everything ie all porper paperwork in hand. I wasn't there for 4 hours but it was time consuming - heck, I had nothing else to do that day so all was good & accomplished!

I keep prodding my DH to go and get his updated but he's still dragging his feet. I guess he'll not be travelling with me anywhere nor anytime soon!!!

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

Jordan2 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:26:40 GMT

@tends2dogs wrote:
@Jordan2 I didn't have to have my social security card. Also, they wouldn't take the original birth certificate, only photo copies from the courthouse. No bank account statement was needed either.

Is it different in each state?

@tends2dogs I don't know if it's different for each state. What documents did they require of you? They were making appointments for next Saturday, the DMV isn't opened on Saturdays, I wonder if they will be now?

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

suzyQ3 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:52:00 GMT

The best advice I can give anyone who wants a Real ID is to make an appointment and to check online to know exactly what documentation you need. It's not so bad if you do both of these.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

dulwich — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:39:02 GMT

@Jordan2 Here is our experience. DH, DD and I all went too to get our Real I.D’s we had appointments. Go early even if you have appointment. our appointments were 3 p.m, and 3.20 p.m. were there until doors closed and left at 5.30 p.m.

Took everything but the kitchen sink. Birth certificates, marriage lines ss cards, passport, and our permanent residence cards plus two proofs of residence.

First step sign in then ‘go over there to computers’ long line where we then had to complete forms on computer why we were there - nothing referred on computer to Real I.D. so it was chaos as everyone had to keep asking the one person there what bid do we check - took 40 mins to get number which we needed from computer - then backto counter. Given a green form - sit and wait for number to be called .

My appointment time 3 p.m to counter 4 p.m.

DH and I renewed our green cards last May and as rules ‘have changed now they mail out cards’ they put a sticker extending it for 1 year May 2020 in case we need to travel out of U.S. but ‘you will receive your new cards within 6 months - so far have not received new cards but.....

I got through all stuff at DMV plus photo and ‘Real I.D. Will be in mail’.

DH was refused his because of sticker on back of permanent residence card also extending to May 2920 as he was told by his clerk then supervisor he needed a form to accompany the extension sticker - cannot remember the number but have it written down.

So there you go I got mine DD got hers DH no. We all produced same evidence but all went to different counters.

Might add we have both been out of country where these extended sticker green cards that worked perfectly.

Nextt upheaval renewing our Brit/EU passports for Brit only passport when Brexit happens.

DH decided not to bother with Real ID. until our new green cards arrive then he will go again! Sorry so long did not mean to usurp your post.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

sunshine45 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:42:03 GMT

in maryland it has been very organized and you can schedule an actual appointment online. definitely far from being a nightmare that some seem to have had.

we did not necessarily have to have a SS card.....there were other documents you could provide if you did not have the card. you also did not necessarily have to have a bank account statement.....there were a number of other documents you could provide to show your address.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

NicksmomESQ — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:50:51 GMT

@Jordan2 That Garden City DMV is the pits. I haven't been there in years.The last time I was there I waited about 3 hours.

I renewed my license a few months ago at the Medford DMV.I made an appointment online & was out in less than 25 minutes. DH went after me without an appointment & was out in about 40 minutes.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

tends2dogs — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:57:19 GMT

@Jordan2 wrote:
@tends2dogs wrote:
@Jordan2 I didn't have to have my social security card. Also, they wouldn't take the original birth certificate, only photo copies from the courthouse. No bank account statement was needed either.

Is it different in each state?
@tends2dogs I don't know if it's different for each state. What documents did they require of you? They were making appointments for next Saturday, the DMV isn't opened on Saturdays, I wonder if they will be now?

@Jordan2 I had to have my birth certificate (photocopy), marriage license (1st marriage), divorce decree, marriage license (2nd marriage), and my expired driver's license that I was renewing. That is all. I did this last June. We only have one DMV in our county and it is always packed. I didn't think 90 minutes was bad.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

lolakimono — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:57:37 GMT

I did this in late summer. I made an appointment and was there about 15 minutes from start to finish. The biggest hassle was finding a parking space.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

chprsp — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 19:03:56 GMT

In PA our state representative hosted a meeting so that people knew what to bring. We took our passports, proof of address (2), plus our Social Security cards. It was about a 30 minute wait for us. The Real Id's arrived in the mail within a week. We did not need an appointment maybe because it's a rural area.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

Still Raining — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 18:58:51 GMT

If already know you need better documentation, start early.

I have had a US passport since birth, under several names, and all the usual array of driver's licenses and SSN cards.

What I did not have was a birth certificate. The state I was born in has moved all old records to the capital and they have to be requested by father's name and mother's maiden name.

Evidently I am illegal and illegitimate, with falsely obtained documentation. A certain number of siblings may or not be related. My mother may or not have been adopted by her stepfather or even married to my father. As for my purported father, he seems to be on the hook for me with a different mother??

If my parents were still alive, I would so give them a hard time. 😂

Start early folks.

Re: My Experience At The Department Of Motor Vehicles

Jordan2 — Sun, 29 Dec 2019 19:16:55 GMT

@NicksmomESQ wrote:
@Jordan2 That Garden City DMV is the pits. I haven't been there in years.The last time I was there I waited about 3 hours.
I renewed my license a few months ago at the Medford DMV.I made an appointment online & was out in less than 25 minutes. DH went after me without an appointment & was out in about 40 minutes.

@NicksmomESQ there is a DMV I think on Rockaway Turnpike, it may be in Rosdale, I'm not sure. Someone told me the Bethpage office wasn't that bad. As far as appointments go I spoke to someone who knew of someone that had an appointment. It may have gotten her picture taken more quickly, however she still waited a long time before she got called again to process her paperwork.