Friday, July 1, 2011

The DMV and a Lesson Learned??


I knew in May that I needed to renew my drivers license.  But I did what I always do, and I put off renewing it because I had plenty of time.  In Virginia you can do it online, so there just didn't seem to be any hurry.  But on the evening of the 29th I decided the time had come to renew it.  It didn't take long to realize I was unable to renew it because my license expired on my birthday and not at the end of the month like I thought it did.  That meant that for 19 days I was unknowingly driving around on an expired license.  The punishment by the DMV (Department of Motor Vehicles) for not renewing on time is that you have to go into one of their main offices to renew it and bring with you proof of 'legal presence' which as you may know means that I need to show that I'm a U.S. citizen and legally authorized to be in the United States....Thankfully Carl is organized and gave me my birth certificate and on an impulse gave me our marriage license too. 
 
Many of you may know that any trip to the DMV typically means long lines and endless waiting.  I came prepared with magazines, my camera and cell phone and I wondered why the Virginia flag was at half mast...Was that a sign?  I was about to find out as my odyssey began with standing in line waiting for a number. 
It was mid-morning and with the long line and people waiting I happened to notice there was practically no one at any of the counters.  Why was that? 
My turn in line to get a number to wait and I told the person at the counter that I was there to renew my expired drivers license.  She looked at my license and told me it was expired...Of course she mentioned that I had to be able to show that I was a US citizen.  I gave her my birth certificate which was met with some skepticism because it's not notarized.  I told her that it was the one given to my Mother; however it still needed a supervisors approval and I was asked to give proof of my married name.  Thank-you Carl for thinking that I might need that marriage license.  Both were approved and I had my number and was now going to get to wait...again.   
~Rudi~
Finally my number was called, and I repeated to the DMV employee my reason for being there.  She looked at my license and told me it was expired and I needed to show that I was a US citizen.  I gave it to her and mentioned that my birth certificate was an original but wasn't notarized but had been okayed by the other clerk and a supervisor and I gave her my marriage license.  She told me that she would have to get an approval from a supervisor because my birth certificate wasn't notarized...There was something that I really wanted to say to her, but I thought it best to just let it go. 

Finally after several more minutes everything was approved--I am now able to drive legally again!!  The punishment and fine, or rather the fee for coming into the DMV and not doing it online was increased by 5 dollars and my license will arrive in about 10 days. 
It'll be good for 8 years.  I wonder if I'll remember next time to renew early or wait until the last minute?  

44 comments:

  1. DMV's are never fun! Did you find out why the flag was at half mast?

    Sam

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  2. Maybe Todd will remind you in 8 years? ya think?? LOL Congrats for being legal once again.

    DI

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  3. This made my Vickie laugh and laugh. She felt so sorry for you but said she has learned a great lesson and she will be sure to not let her license expire and make sure her birth certificate is notorized.

    She is still laughing, but told me not to tell you. I am just supposed to say, "Sorry that you had to go through such a difficult time" then she laughed again.

    You humans......sometimes I just don't understand

    Love
    Bert

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  4. What a hassle! Oh well ~ all is well now.

    Hope you have a terrific weekend Kim!
    xo Catherine

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  5. Whew! What a trip that turned out to be. So glad you're all back to 'normal.' Hugs to Rudi and Todd...both so sweet!

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  6. I would like to leave a comment about your DMV experience, but you would have to censor!!! :)

    Happy, happy long weekend to you all,
    ~K

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  7. Kim. You keep repeating yourself. You keep repeating yourself. You keep repeating yourself. LOL> Oh my!! What we have to go through sometimes is so ridiculous.
    Hello Sweet Todd! ((HUGS))

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  8. words fail me. i think my blood pressure raised just READING what you went thru!
    quick... says she... just get me back to my beloved golden pines and i'll never cross your door again!
    NOW... get a tall cool something and sit back and watch the antics and relaxation of your furries.
    thank god for carl. bless him!
    love,
    tammy j

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  9. forgot to mention...
    does that little guy look a bit guilty to you?
    lol.
    tammy j

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  10. The DMV is always an ordeal, but ours isn't as bad as yours. Where I live, the DMv is a small office with three chairs and three clerks. Licenses are $25, made on the spot, and are only good for 4 years. We are laser fingerprinted. Whole thing takes about 15 minutes, unless, like this year, the machine broke down and I had to wait twice as long. Glad you can legally be on the road again...even if you were never notarized, LOL

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  11. I imagine anything worse than a DMV visit. Glad you survived without going postal. Happy to see Rudi's golden smile.

    Happy 4th to you, Carl and all the critters at Golden Pines.

    Easton is going to the vet today. His leg in not healing.

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  12. We don't have to renew our licences but we can do road tax etc online and that makes life easier. Love the pics, as ever!

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  13. Oh boy, did this post make me glad to be Canadian! Things are so much easier here: you go in, get a number without waiting, show proof of address, they take your picture, you sign a form and out you go. On a good day if you go to a smaller center, this takes 45 minutes. If you go during the Holidays though, as I often do, it takes ages. Like three hours of waiting because they're short staffed. Good thing they send me my renewal notice in the mail in December and I only have to renew by my birthday in February so I have plenty of time to pick a day to go when I have nothing better to do lol

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  14. Isn't it wonderful? The DMV's sole purpose on earth is to harrass people that comply with the law. If you drive without a license, then you don't have to go through all of that, plus they don't do anything when they pick you up anyway. How do you spell "Irony"?

    Mogley G. Retriever

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  15. Isn't that frustrating? I ran into the same thing this year when I got my license renewed. I was on time, but I wanted to get an expanded license, that would enable me to go to Canada and Mexico without needing a passport. They absolutely wouldn't give me one because my birth certificate, that I have so carefully hoarded all these years, didn't have the appropriate seal on it. So, I ended up just getting a regular license again. And, I did send off for a new birth certificate with a seal, just in case.

    Tod gets more adorable with each picture I see.

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  16. Woof! Woof! Going to the DMV is not FUN. It happened to my mom n she had to take a written test. Also there were so unhappy people working at the DMV --- so sad that they continue to work there cause they deal with people all the time. Glad you are able to drive once again legglly ... the Golden Pines Gang sure are happy. Delightful to see Rudi. For sure Todd thinks he is a Golden. Sending LOVE to the Golden Gang and Lots of Golden Woofs, Sugar

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  17. I bet there were a few things you wanted to say! I know what I was thinking. Ha!
    When J and I got married in 2005 and I had to change my DL, I went to the little DMV office in our little podunk county seat. (podunk is my fave country word!)As I tried to give the clerk all my paperwork to show my name had changed but I was legally keeping my maiden name also (just no hyphen) she pushed the paperwork back to me and just asked me to spell the way I wanted it to appear on my DL! She commented she was too busy to read "all that stuff"! Can you believe it? I couldn't! I guess that is why people like the man in the news using he expired boarding pass get pushed through-laziness!
    If I remember I will remind you in 8 years. Oy!
    xo, misha

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  18. look at this little cutie - just canno wait to meet Mr Toddy! and also see how Ranger & He get along - I would be surprised if any problems - except Toddy trying to run Ranger - my big Baby! ha ha!

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  19. And to think I let Todd ride in a van up the state of Virginia with an illegal driver - LOL!!! Sounds just like something I would do!

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  20. Can you do it online before the date? You can here, I got mine a couple months before my birthday, last year. Good for 5 years, as if....

    How is Rudi holding up? Nice picture of her. Nice picture of Todd too!

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  21. This kinda sounds like "Groundhog Day"...the same day over and over again....except that it happened on the same day. :)

    Thank goodness for long expiration dates!

    Enjoy the holiday weekend!

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  22. But then, after all that, you got to come home to Todd!! What a treat!!

    Rottie Kisses!

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  23. Wow, I guess I was lucky. My non-driver ID expired and when I went to renew it last week, I walked right up to the counter. The clerk, of course, told me it was expired. Are they all required to say that? Then I showed her my passport and she snapped my picture and in five minutes I was out of there for another 8 years.

    Have a great weekend.

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  24. Oh man! I've never had to have all that stuff to get my license except the first time I got it, I think. One year I had surgery on my hand a few days before my birthday, and I hadn't realized my license was expiring. I ended up having to go in after surgery and that picture looked horrible! I could not wait to get it renewed the last time! lol Fortunately, the DMV is just two blocks up the street in our little town. The hours are just horribly inconvenient!

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  25. Now if that isn't the cutest! I don't know what is!!!

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  26. I never thought it could be this complicated to have your driver's license renewed, when you missed the date. But I am glad this is over.

    Your baby looks adorable!
    xxxxxx

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  27. How come you have to get your license renewed so often in the USA, in the UK we get one on passing our driving test that runs out when you are at retirement age....then you have to get an extention. Pleased you got it sorted out hun. Have a lovely weekend. S x x

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  28. DMVs must be the same everywhere. I don't think Todd cared!

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  29. In 8 years the computer world will have changed completely again...so let's see maybe you can make your on Driver's License just saying! Your system seems to have a lot of people involved just like the Canadian version. However, knock on wood I haven't had any weird problems yet!

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  30. I lived in Baltimore City for a very long time. The DMV was very interesting! I never needed a book as for I always "people watched."

    Todd is a cutie. A friend of ours has a black Scottie who is one of the coolest dogs I know.

    Okay, now I want one!

    Have a great weekend, Kim!!

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  31. how did i miss the picture of darling rudi earlier???
    that beautiful laughing face. looks like she may be feeling better.
    such a love.
    happy 4th kim!

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  32. Perhaps you could have the "little one" serve as a reminder...ever think of changing his name to "DL" or "Driver"?...:)JP

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  33. I just renewed my license as well. In NC they send a card six months before your license expires and you can renew any time during the six months preceding your birthday.

    I hated the DMV in Milwaukee because of the long lines and unpleasant DMV workers. Thank goodness for small town Brevard.

    Loved the photographs.

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  34. I'm always forgetting to renew my drivers license. We don't have to prove anything to get ours renewed! LOL

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  35. Such a draaaaaaaaaaaag! It is so irritating to have to wait in line for inane people to ask you the same q's over and over again! I think you did extremely well! Love your new pupper from RC!!! How very cool! Give kisses to Rudi for us - ten days of grace - that is wonderful!
    Big Hugs xoxoxo
    Sammie, Avalon and Ozzie

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  36. Kim,
    I cannot believe what you went through to get yours taken care of.
    I am not sure what year mine expires.. I need to look,,,
    and I just know mine will not go smooth either..
    Now just kick back and watch the fire flies!
    love
    tweedles

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  37. OH dear with all you have been doing...you should have brought pictures of your brood....go for the sympathy vote...love that new pooch of yours....soooooooooooooo cute
    glad your legal again
    and kiss that man

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  38. Glad to see Rudi is holding her own; we're keeping our paws crossed for her. And we're so happy Todd has found a surrogate mama Golden :) And no, we don't believe she'll ever leave Golden Pines. Too bad the DMV is so busy justifying all the comedians' jokes about how horrible they are. At least you get 8 years; MD only gives 5.

    Jed & Abby

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  39. What fun ! DMV bureaucrats are in a class all of their own .

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  40. Hey, there's Todd! Is it me or has he grown a little? Love those crazy ears of his. Hoomie Melissa did not renew her license for 2 months but luckily she was not fined for it. And she managed to renew her license within 10 minutes. There was hardly any line that day at the office! Good for her!

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  41. I learned my lesson the DMV trip. I don't dislike a lot of things, but the trip there is never high on the totem pole for me. Glad it's over for you. Love your pooch pictures. Debi

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