Long waits looming for license renewals -DMV officials fear new federal ID rules will lengthen lines

San Francisco Chronicle ^ | 7/24/6 | Lynda Gledhill

[SmithL]

Sacramento -- Starting in 2008, all 22 million licensed California drivers will be required to go in person to a DMV office and prove their identity and address with three different documents before getting a new, federally approved state license.

The sheer size and scope of that task -- required by a federal law passed in the wake of Sept. 11 -- already has the state Department of Motor Vehicles worried about lines that would make current complaints about the agency's notoriously slow service seem trivial.

The new identification cards will be required in order to fly on airplanes and enter federal buildings.

Implementing the Real ID Act in California is likely to be complicated by the prolonged effort in the state to grant undocumented workers the right to obtain a driver's license.

The Real ID Act requires every state to issue driver's licenses that comply with a national standard. The goal is to prevent fraud and make sure people applying for licenses are who they say they are and do not pose security risks. The perpetrators of the Sept. 11 attacks had valid licenses, which allowed them to board airplanes.

"It's clear that this is an anti-terrorism policy, but it has a tremendous impact on driver's licenses," said Bill Cather, legislative director for the DMV.

[SmithL]

Joy unbounded!

[Danae]

How about hiring MORE STAFF!

How about requiring those ID's before getting IN line? How about closing the border and eliminating Illegal aliens trying to GET Licenses?

[Tspud1]

We have to in IL to get a replacement

[gondramB]

Ackk! Georgia just instituted renewal by mail and even change of address by mail to solve such problems.... I see great aggrevation ahead.

[Michael.SF.]

The new identification cards will be required in order to fly on airplanes and enter federal buildings.

and to VOTE!!

/wishful thinking

[streetpreacher]

This affects more than California in 08, correct? It's a federal law. Is it going to be implemented slowly in different states or all at once?

[pbear8]

How about letting me go first?

[Yo-Yo]

Correction:

Implementing the Real ID Act in California is likely to be complicated by the prolonged effort in the state to grant undocumented workers the right to obtain a driver's license one way ticket back to their country of origin.

[Element187]

Here's an idea ... Lets just pay a private entity to run the DMV and relieve the worthless federal government from the equation... it will be cheaper and alot faster.

[streetpreacher]

So I guess if I take a federal job, I don't have much of a choice.

[null and void]

Sounds like a good idea to me...

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[Minutemen]

1.- More complaining from state workers.
2.- Illegal aliens will ignore the laws and continue to drive un-licensed & un-insured as usual.

[thinkthenpost]

There was a report in Texas just a week or two ago by the Department of Public Safety that basically said the same thing, no more mail renewal, no online, all in person, long long lines.

[traditional1]

"How about requiring those ID's before getting IN line?"

Line 1: U.S. Citizens only

Line 2: Criminals and Democrat voters (post in Spanish only)

[mugs99]

The new identification cards will be required in order to fly on airplanes and enter federal buildings

You have to be a licensed driver to fly on airplanes and enter federal buildings?
.

[oh8eleven]

DMV officials fear new federal ID rules will lengthen lines
Since when did DMV give a $hit about the length of a line?

[Michael.SF.]

You have to be a licensed driver to fly on airplanes DMV's can issue photo ID's for non drivers as well.

[Gritty]

Today (here in North Carolina) the long lines at the DMV are caused by illegal aliens lining up to get their drivers licenses, a process which is assisted by State salaried interpreters.

I would welcome lines which excluded illegals!

[Michael.SF.]

Lets just pay a private entity to run the DMV and relieve the worthless federal government

Two comments:

AAA (Automobile Assoc. of America) already provides most DMV related services to members. The state does not pay DMV for this service.

The Federal government does not run DMV's, State governments run them just as ineffectually as the feds can.

[rottndog]

Here's an idea ... Lets just pay a private entity to run the DMV and relieve the worthless federal government from the equation... it will be cheaper and alot faster.

I do all my DMV renewals at AAA a mile from my house. Even when it's crowded I still don't end up waiting very long. Some how they figured out how to do it right. But then again, AAA is not a government bureaucracy.