TX to mark Non-USC Driver's licenses

[TBoneTX 44,679]

Note to all:

I went to renew my own (USC) Texas DL in late May, and the clerk said that the computers in Austin (state capital) are being changed over. It is taking people 6 to 8 WEEKS to receive their licenses. She issued me a temporary license, even though I was "good and early" (current license doesn't expire till mid-July). She said that if I hadn't received my new license by the time the temporary one expired (late July), I should visit again for another temporary license.

My current license was good for 10 years; the new one will apparently be good for 6 years.

[Nina~ 431]

Note to all:

I went to renew my own (USC) Texas DL in late May, and the clerk said that the computers in Austin (state capital) are being changed over. It is taking people 6 to 8 WEEKS to receive their licenses. She issued me a temporary license, even though I was "good and early" (current license doesn't expire till mid-July). She said that if I hadn't received my new license by the time the temporary one expired (late July), I should visit again for another temporary license.

My current license was good for 10 years; the new one will apparently be good for 6 years.

Did she mention why the computers are being changed over?

[SP&JM 0]

Wow. Fortunately I already have a valid license from the state to which I will be moving (back) that is still good for a couple of years. Hopefully they won't change it to anything "flagged as potentially suspicious" when I renew it! Well, I won't be in Texas anyway.

Maybe there is hope that Obama will help reverse this Bush-era type of legislation.

Doubt it, since this is up to the States, not the Fed.

Referencing other posts, I wish the people who were in charge of enforcing the laws actually KNEW the laws. And marking a Permanent Resident as "Temporary" is an outrage.

How will this affect all the other stuff that people do with a DL? Heck, it's the main form of ID here in the US. Sure, maybe it shouldn't change the way the DL is received, but don't tell me you can't imagine some poor confused bank teller refusing to let you open a bank account (hey, it's a Temporary ID). They never make these things clear enough to the people that they affect...

[wowswift 3]

Note to all:

I went to renew my own (USC) Texas DL in late May, and the clerk said that the computers in Austin (state capital) are being changed over. It is taking people 6 to 8 WEEKS to receive their licenses. She issued me a temporary license, even though I was "good and early" (current license doesn't expire till mid-July). She said that if I hadn't received my new license by the time the temporary one expired (late July), I should visit again for another temporary license.

My current license was good for 10 years; the new one will apparently be good for 6 years.

you will get it exactly one month after you went in. we just got ours and that's what happened (we did it from austin too and got the whole story). and the GC holders, they look the same, they only mark it on the computer. (at least that's what they told us). new design sucks though lol looks so cheesy

[TBoneTX 44,679]

Did she mention why the computers are being changed over?

Upgrade, or synchronization, or something standard like that.

[TBoneTX 44,679]

you will get it exactly one month after you went in. we just got ours and that's what happened

That's pretty standard procedure, then -- an agency takes the cautious, conservative approach toward when results will be forthcoming. The client is then pleased when the expectation is exceeded.

[Kar98 0]

Referencing other posts, I wish the people who were in charge of enforcing the laws actually KNEW the laws. And marking a Permanent Resident as "Temporary" is an outrage.

How will this affect all the other stuff that people do with a DL? Heck, it's the main form of ID here in the US. Sure, maybe it shouldn't change the way the DL is received, but don't tell me you can't imagine some poor confused bank teller refusing to let you open a bank account (hey, it's a Temporary ID). They never make these things clear enough to the people that they affect...

There, are you done outraging? Good.

Pretty much exactly 4 weeks after I applied for one, I received my TX DL card in the mail. Guess what? It looks like any other TX DL. Proper format, no special markings. Other than the new design my license (LPR) just like the wife's, who is a USC.

[SP&JM 0]

Referencing other posts, I wish the people who were in charge of enforcing the laws actually KNEW the laws. And marking a Permanent Resident as "Temporary" is an outrage.

How will this affect all the other stuff that people do with a DL? Heck, it's the main form of ID here in the US. Sure, maybe it shouldn't change the way the DL is received, but don't tell me you can't imagine some poor confused bank teller refusing to let you open a bank account (hey, it's a Temporary ID). They never make these things clear enough to the people that they affect...

There, are you done outraging? Good.

Pretty much exactly 4 weeks after I applied for one, I received my TX DL card in the mail. Guess what? It looks like any other TX DL. Proper format, no special markings. Other than the new design my license (LPR) just like the wife's, who is a USC.

Yep, I'm done . Outrage wasn't my description originally, I was agreeing. I still agree. And I'm glad that it looks just the same as the others. One of the nice things about the US is that people can't pick you out as being foreign just walking down the street. In Spain, I stood out. Here, my hubby doesn't. It just seems like waving a big "I'm foreign, and TEMPORARY" flag every time you have to use your DL would be irritating, especially when some people don't understand the difference between illegal alien and legal alien and some don't care since apparently anyone not born in the US but working here has stolen their job...but maybe not. Maybe it wouldn't bother you (or him). Were I in his place, it would make me feel less welcome.

Maybe that's just being overly sensitive.

[TBoneTX 44,679]

some people don't understand the difference between illegal alien and legal alien and some don't care

Let no one ever underestimate the anti-ALL-immigrant sentiment in the U.S.

[Texanadian 10]

I was even pleasantly surprised that it only cost $90.00, as I thought it would be a lot more with this out of state conversion charge.

Massachusetts is a rip off. $90? I paid $24 in Texas for a 7 year license.

I can agree with the others. Just wait until you have your Green Card before applying for a Texas driver's license. That way you'll get the regular citizen type license with a long expiry date.

Until then, keep driving on your foreign one. Good for a year. As for that Dallas cop that towed and gave a ticket for no TX license? What an idiot. Not having a license, I can see being a towing offence. But when the person has a valid foreign license, there is no problem. It's fully legal (as long as it hasn't been over a year)

[Anonymous 57 0]

I think they're barking up the wrong tree here. I'm not sure that outrage is what I would feel about this were it in my home state, but I don't think that it's going to help things any.

Are they thinking that by marking legal immigrants' drivers licenses that they will somehow be able to arrest more illegal immigrants who are driving around with no insurance? Illegal immigrants are already really, really easy to find. ICE has already found waaay too many to possibly do anything about them. Why are they making up a system to try to find MORE illegal immigrants to ignore?

[jade_arb 3]

I went to the DPS today to change my address in my DL and I was told that my new DL won't have the ugly Temporary Visitor restriction, since I have a GC now. For some reason I had the idea that they were going to keep my current DL and just get temporary piece of paper, but the lady just cut a little bit of the top of it and gave it back to me. Does anybody knows why they do that? I was told as well that I should get it in 7 to 8 weeks and surprisingly I just paid $20 for the new DL and ID.... I was expecting to pay way more.

I went back to read the OP and I'm curious how is the guy from the article said he was getting a Temporary Visitor restriction since he is a GC holder, seems like only people who are adjusting their status or have student or work visas get the ugly red restriction, which make sense since they are not Permanent Residents yet...

[TBoneTX 44,679]

you will get it exactly one month after you went in.

And indeed I did, si man.

[JeremyR 8]

Bit of a thread bump but I'm just catching up on this one. Haven't read this thread for a while

Anyway, one month to receive a license? Computer upgrades or not, that's ridiculous. I received my GA DL approximately 5 minutes after I passed the road test - they took my picture, updated the database and printed the license there and then.

[furiousng 2]

Bit of a thread bump but I'm just catching up on this one. Haven't read this thread for a while

Anyway, one month to receive a license? Computer upgrades or not, that's ridiculous. I received my GA DL approximately 5 minutes after I passed the road test - they took my picture, updated the database and printed the license there and then.

Same thing for my Louisiana license but that was 3 years ago. Wonder if its still the same.

Edited July 30, 2009 by furiousng