Jumping through Hoops to Get My Partner’s Expired ID Replaced
I need to fill out so many documents and send in so much proof and we have our own unique challenges
Getting your identification or driver’s license renewed can be quite the process. I remember when I got my driver’s license renewed, I needed all sorts of forms, some for proof of citizenship and birth, and also proof of residency such as utility bills from a physical residence. Add a degree of difficulty when you live in an RV full-time.
The thing is, we do have a physical address where we receive our mail. For all intents and purposes, that’s our address when it comes to anything important. It’s the one we need to use for benefits, for our utility bills, and voting and residency purposes. We will definitely have our stuff sent there when the time comes.
It’s just that when your license is expired, it’s a little harder to get the things you need. With social security, you need to have a current identification for them to help you at their offices. That means that my partner will have to go through the portal and request documentation and forms online for his identity and proof of benefits.
This will also allow him to get a cheaper ID when we go get it. The state of New York gives people with social security benefits a discounted rate for obtaining an ID.
I guess it’s fine that they make the process a little tough so it’s hard for some random person to just steal your identity. There are other ways to go about this though. The thing is, facial recognition and other modern technology make it so hard for people to steal that, the authorities and all of the major agencies should already know who someone is when they walk up.
His old ID is in a different state. That’s another thing to consider. We can transfer it over from that state since we’re still within two years of it being expired. It’s a good thing that this process won’t be much harder because of that. We ordered his birth certificate but the State of California needs him to notarize a document and fax over proof of identity to receive that.
That will take a little longer as well. Then we have to take all of these documents and go to the DMV and fill out the application to get his identification after that. We expect all of this to take at least a couple of weeks, if not longer. It also is going to cost more than I’d like it to.
Many other things are now automated. Why not make IDs automated and universal?
I think it would also be great if states communicated with each other better to make the process so much easier. When I was living in California and had my original license, I never had to keep sending in documents to prove who I was, they just knew. I hope that at some point, identification becomes a thing of the past. Since it’s not, retrieving the documents needed to obtain the new card again is going to just take time.
If that process were nationalized, then going from state to state wouldn’t be such a chore while obtaining a renewal or a new identification.
It’s time to modernize this bureaucracy and find a less painful and easier way for everyone to obtain their identification. If you’re going to make it a crime to go without one, don’t make it so hard for you to get one as well. Also, since his license is still expired within a reasonable amount of time, it’s still accepted in many places.
We would just have better piece of mind if it wasn’t expired at all. I’m planning on opting into getting the 8 years and real ID for this one so I don’t have to worry about this process again for a long time.
