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I posted this on another board that mainly has members from CA and AZ, but now I'm curious to see what answers come up here.

My Dad's license expires on 8/13. In his infinite wisdom, he put off his renewal appt until tomorrow. We leave for GA on 7/31. Now I have always gotten my old license back when I've gone in for a renewal. They punch a little hole in it to indicate that it will no longer be valid once the new one arrives, but I can still use it as a valid photo ID when I present it with the temporary license. My parents swear they have never been given their old licenses back. How can this be? In this day and age you have to have photo ID to do just about everything. Not only would he not be able to fly if they took his DL, he couldn't even use his credit card at most places for the length of time it takes to get the new DL mailed. That can be up to 60 days here in CA.

I called the DMV and actually got a live, English speaking human being on the phone. She said they do give the license back with a hole punched in it, but he would need to indicate that he needed it for traveling. Mine were always given back to me without question. I asked her how TSA treated those licenses with the hole and the temp DL, and she kind of hesitated and said they are supposed to be accepted but TSA basically could make it difficult. We both agreed it would be better to postpone the appt until he returns from GA and hope for the best (those who know me know that our family trips to GA seem to end with major illnesses or hospitalizations...it's a curse).

So now I'm curious...especially for Californians but also for everyone else. What does your state do for that interim period? And does anyone have any knowledge of how TSA handles it? Another SoCal friend said he's never gotten his DL back. Other than my original license, all my renewals have been done in NorCal. How can state policies differ so greatly between NorCal and SoCal? Or is my little rural DMV office way ahead of the curve compared to the rest of the state?

I have my last license in my check-book, incase someone needs the number when I write a check...which I rarely do.

I also got a long sheet of paper that listed my new license was being mailed and my old one was valid until that arrived. (Colorado)

You can always say you "lost" the current license (this week of course) and can't turn it in. Then you could avoid the hole-punch, but the TSA might still not care for it's expired status.

Suppose a valid Passport isn't available?

I'd basically say, "be sure to talk to the DMV people to verify you'll get it back".

I'd put off the appointment!! RI does not return your license (even if you ask). I had HUGE problems with this. Was unable to rent a car because I didn't have a valid driver's license (even with the paper temp license that had a seal inprinted). Fortunately I was going to a JB show and good-hearted BNers came all the way to the airport to get me. I didn't have an issue getting on the plane because I have other government issued ID but I have no doubt they would not have let me board if all I'd had was the temp license. If your only concern is flying and your Dad has a passport, that would be a solution.

Not sure what I'll do next time I have to renew. It's completely absurd and unreasonable in this mobile day and age to be without a license for 30-60 days. (Mine might get lost just prior to renewal..... Nope, don't know what happened to it.... Just here to renew....) TOTAL ANTIQUATED BS.

(Oh, and just to make you feel better(?) about your personal information being flung around, it's no longer a state employee making that license.... It's contracted out, which is why it's sent via mail... )

Boy, in Illinois when you renew your license in person, you get your new license on the spot. And, if you have a clean record, when you renew by mail, they just send you a sticker that you put on the back of it, indicating the new expiration date---the first time I used on of those at Hertz in LA they told me it was expired, and I told them to turn it over--they had never seen it before, but they accepted it.

Good luck with this, Kathy!

I think I got mine back---it has been awhile since I went in person.
But make sure your Dad travelling with an expired license would be OK with the TSA

ejr wrote:Boy, in Illinois when you renew your license in person, you get your new license on the spot. And, if you have a clean record, when you renew by mail, they just send you a sticker that you put on the back of it, indicating the new expiration date---the first time I used on of those at Hertz in LA they told me it was expired, and I told them to turn it over--they had never seen it before, but they accepted it.

Good luck with this, Kathy!

We have the worst of both worlds. You have to appear in person to renew and then you have to wait to get it in the mail.

You do not get to keep them in NC, but you get the replacement while you wait. For renewals you just go on-line or mail it in.

AL let you keep out of state licenses after they punched a hole and gave you a printed piece of paper while you waited for the actual license to arrive by mail.

GA took the previous license and issued you a temporary laminated license (of the same quality as the original) to use while they mailed you the actual license. This one I've never understood because you wind up with two licenses that are almost identical. The only difference is the temporary license expired two weeks after it was issued.

TN took the license and gave you a new one on the spot. Renewals were done by mail.

If you think they may be cutting it close, he should be able to get a standard identification card on the spot. This is legal for flying with no passport or license.

~Hippolyte~ wrote: I also got a long sheet of paper that listed my new license was being mailed and my old one was valid until that arrived. (Colorado)

In NYS you can renew online (if you haven't changed address), in person or by mail. If you go in person you keep your old license and get a piece of paper like the Hippo mentions.

You also can renew your license at least (or as the dmv puts it "no more than") one year before its expiration. Ha! I tried doing that (it was exactly one year) and was told the computer wouldn't let me. So I went back 3 days later (due to the weekend).

SchoolGirlHeart wrote:I'd put off the appointment!! RI does not return your license (even if you ask). I had HUGE problems with this. Was unable to rent a car because I didn't have a valid driver's license (even with the paper temp license that had a seal inprinted). Fortunately I was going to a JB show and good-hearted BNers came all the way to the airport to get me. I didn't have an issue getting on the plane because I have other government issued ID but I have no doubt they would not have let me board if all I'd had was the temp license. If your only concern is flying and your Dad has a passport, that would be a solution.

Not sure what I'll do next time I have to renew. It's completely absurd and unreasonable in this mobile day and age to be without a license for 30-60 days. (Mine might get lost just prior to renewal..... Nope, don't know what happened to it.... Just here to renew....) TOTAL ANTIQUATED BS.

(Oh, and just to make you feel better(?) about your personal information being flung around, it's no longer a state employee making that license.... It's contracted out, which is why it's sent via mail... )

Everything about the RI DMV is antiquated. It took forever to get a license and get a car registered in the state. It's as if they really don't want people to live here and pay the high taxes.

I actually flew with the temp ID, and without any other photo ID -- both out of TFG and Dallas Love. The TSA guys kind of quizzed me a bit on what I was up to and why I didn't have a license (explained the moving thing) and they let me through.

Thanks for the responses everyone. I guess I should have made it more clear, he WON'T be traveling with the expired license, it expires 2 days after we return (again assuming nothing goes wrong). But had we let him go to the appt tomorrow, he'd be without the license. Thankfully Mom had one of those middle of the night brainstorms so we were able to take care of it, and I was able to talk to a live person instead of having him go down there in person to try to get an answer. And due to the budget crisis, the DMV is on Friday furloughs, which means everything will be even more backed up than usual. I think when he does go, I will still have him tell the dmv that he needs the expired license as a photo ID for travel, just so he'll have something to use when using his credit cards while waiting on the new one. Stores only seem to look at picture and name.

Ellen, I knew at least one state did what IL does, sounds like TN is the same. Maybe there are more? That makes the most sense to me, especially on a renewal. All the info they need is easily accessed by computer.

I had asked mom and dad to renew their passports simply so they'd have a second form of ID and in case they ever took a cruise or trip overseas, but they failed to do so. So that's my next chore.

Weren't we on the path to to a federally issued DL, so all states would be the same? Something to do with Homeland Security? I swear I remember that all states had to have that in effect by 2010 or 12ish. I remember that Cali really didn't need to do much since everything anyone could ever possibly want to know about us is already contained on the swipe strip.

I'm with Jen, there is no excuse foir this lame system. You can't even use a department store credit card without showing ID today, due to fraud and ID theft. Seems like the DMV needs to light a fire under its butt.

Given all the budget problems here in CA, I'll consider myself fortunate if I just *get* a new license this year when mine expires. And hopefully before I leave for MOTM.

Kath? Just in case I missed a response from someone, an expired license is not a valid form of ID. Spent many years in banking, and could not accept an expired drivers license as ID.

In Wisconsin we get our new DL in hand when we renew it in person. As for the old DL we get that back when we get our renewal ID card.

Good Luck.

SMLCHNG wrote:Kath? Just in case I missed a response from someone, an expired license is not a valid form of ID. Spent many years in banking, and could not accept an expired drivers license as ID.

I understand that, Penny...but in every day transactions I have yet to see anyone look at a DL date. I'd rather take my chances there than with TSA. But I certainly wouldn't try to use it in a bank, so I will definitely remind him of that. Thanks Pen. Really not sure of what the solution is when you are only given one valid form of photo ID unless you're in government or have a passport (and who carries that around?). He only got the notice of renewal 2 months prior to expiration, he's been studying for the written test and the first appt he was able to get was for tomorrow, and we set that up at least 3 weeks ago, maybe more.

TropicalTroubador wrote:Given all the budget problems here in CA, I'll consider myself fortunate if I just *get* a new license this year when mine expires. And hopefully before I leave for MOTM.

Should we do the "pray for an extension" dance?

My last renewal a couple years ago only required the vision test, thumbprint and new pic. I was in and out the door in 7 minutes. That has to be a dmv record.

The other day I applied for a job, I got it and because we're bonded they had to see my license. Wasn't I surprised when my new boss informed me that my license had expired over a year ago. On Monday I went to the DMV and they charged me $28, I was due a renewal test, took it, passed and the lady handed me back my license (no hole punch) with my paper renewal. They took my picture, a good one, I was in and out of there in 45 minutes and 10 days later my new license was in my mail box. I was at the Costa Mesa office. I have never had such a pleasant trip to the DMV. It was bizarre......

Brown Eyed Girl wrote:

TropicalTroubador wrote:Given all the budget problems here in CA, I'll consider myself fortunate if I just *get* a new license this year when mine expires. And hopefully before I leave for MOTM.

Should we do the "pray for an extension" dance?

My last renewal a couple years ago only required the vision test, thumbprint and new pic. I was in and out the door in 7 minutes. That has to be a dmv record.

Just wait, BEG — karma has a way of resolving itself!

The next time you need to go to the DMV
• it will probably be the hottest day of the year
• the local chapter of AARP will be there en masse to get their licenses renewed
• the A/C will be out
• the computers will be slow
• there will be only two window clerks
• the clerk you finally get to see will speak English as a third language
• the camera operator will not know how to run the equipment properly (just started or doesn't care, take your pick)
• your picture will end up looking like it should be on a "WANTED" poster
• and when you get home you will find out that they misspelled your name and you'll have to go back the next day to do it all over again.

-"BB"-

I renewed mine in March...

I got to keep my old one and they gave me a "temporary" paper one to use with it. It took about 2 months to get my new one since Texas changed how the DL looks...

I had no problems flying with the expired DL and the renewal paper.... It was flying back to Texas with the new format DL that has caused some extended conversations....

Is this a bad time to mention that not only does Idaho hand you your new license
on the spot.. BUT I renewed for 8 years..

Penny? I know of Bouncers..(and Ex bouncers)
that check the expiration date.. in some states you cannot even get in a bar
with an out of date license

come to think of it.. I have seen people not let into "juice bars"
that did not have up to date IDs..

txaggirl91 wrote:I renewed mine in March...

I got to keep my old one and they gave me a "temporary" paper one to use with it. It took about 2 months to get my new one since Texas changed how the DL looks...

I had no problems flying with the expired DL and the renewal paper.... It was flying back to Texas with the new format DL that has caused some extended conversations....

Renewed Fred's online & it took about two months to get the new one in the mail because of the new "look".
He had to carry the paper receipt I printed and the old one (thankfully he didn't need either in the interim).
Fortunately, every other renewal period in Texas you can renew online which means you only have to go into the DMV every 12 years. Yay.