Adventures renewing California driver's license

[Griffon64 0]

When I received the mailed notice from the California DMV that I needed to provide them with evidence of my continuing legal presence in the USA, I mailed back a copy of the front and back of the letter, as well as a copy of the front and back of my expiring green card, and a cover letter explaining that the two together proves my legal residence for another year.

Nothing doing. I didn't hear anything back from them.

Since my green card ( and driver's license ) expires over this weekend, I went down to the DMV yesterday to see about getting a letter from them - a temporary driver's license, figuring that mine was just taking a long time processing.

But nope. They wouldn't accept the NOA extension letter at the office. I explained, patiently. They said nowhere on their list did it say that that was acceptable identification. I checked their website ahead of time and was semi-prepared for something of the sort, since the California DMV page does not list the extension letter as a valid form of ID. After speaking to a supervisor, I had to leave, business unfinished. Back at work I made an InfoPass appointment for the next day - the nearest field office is 110 miles away, so I wasn't happy about it at all, but I also have some sympathy for the DMV clerks - like everybody else, they're just keeping their heads down and staying within the lines of their jobs, making sure they can hang on to their jobs. It is their supervisors who do not work with USCIS that I have less sympathy with.

So, today, I took a day off from work to drive 110 miles to the nearest field office. My USC husband had the day off too and drove with me. At the field office, we were 15 minutes early for the appointment. We went in and through the mini security ( wallet and keys and cell phone in the tray, though the detector ) and got in line. There was one family ahead of us who were processed quite quickly.

When my turn came, I explained to the officer that I wished to have a I-551 stamp in my passport. ( He was a very nice, professional elderly guy. ) He asked if I had been approved yet and I said no, I do have the extension letter, which I tried to have the DMV take without success. He underlined the portion of my letter saying it is an extension in red and started explaining how it with the green card is all the proof I need, and the DMV has to take it. I agreed with him, and explained that I told the DMV officials this, but they would not budge. He explained that they do not want to give out the stamp needlessly, since it generates extra work for them and other official institutions should take the letter. I responded that I absolutely agreed, but I could not get the DMV to budge.

He said that he would give me the stamp, but that he preferred not to, since they don't want to create a precedent that generates more work for them. I apologized for needing it, and he stamped the passport with an extension for six months from today, and we were on our way. That took all of 15 minutes.

We drove back to our home town, had lunch, and tackled the DMV again. At the counter I again presented the letter, with an explanation that I had been to the USCIS field office and was told the letter is sufficient. The lady behind the counter leafed through their procedural manuals for a long time and consulted with her supervisor before returning to me and saying they cannot accept the letter. I asked, nicely, if I could please speak to her supervisor. I conferred with the supervisor, very cordial, told the story, said USCIS told me the extension letter is all I need, but the supervisor would, again, not accept the extension letter!! She said that after 9/11 they were told to enforce the rules very strictly, so sorry. It is not in their little list, she cannot take it. ( The NOA approval letter is in their list, but the standard extension letter we all receive is not. )

So, I played the trump card, the passport stamp. I didn't want to use it until necessary both because I feel the DMV, with their salaries paid for with my tax money, should know their job and serve me the way they're supposed to, and because the stamp is only for six months, so I'd have to go through all that AGAIN if my 10 year green card is held up for any reason.

Immediately, the supervisor's demeanor changed. Yes, the stamp is perfectly acceptable. I was invited to step right up to the window again, to be processed by the same clerk. Jay!

The clerk took my passport, green card and driver's license and worked away at her computer for a while. Then, boom, we hit another snag. My passport is in my maiden name, the expiring driver's license is in my married name. She didn't know how to process it! She asked for assistance and looked at her procedural manuals, but nobody else knew what to do. I was about ready to launch through the roof at this point, but I kept my cool and explained about being married, and produced my original marriage certificate, which I had taken with me that morning because I thought it might be needed, given that my passport is in my maiden name.

That made all the difference! She accepted it, checked with her supervisor again, worked away at the computer for a bit, and finally, we were done. I signed the form, had my photo, signature and thumb print taken, and was on my way with my temporary paper license.

Whew!

What a hassle, though. It just shows, BE PREPARED Take any papers that you think you may need. I needed my whole bag of tricks!

[YuAndDan 153]

Info pass appointment and request an I-551 stamp in passport, explain your problem with DMV to the officer at USCIS, more than likely they will give you the stamp.

[Anna C. 4]

Hm I got that same letter and haven't heard since. My license expires Saturday! For now I'll just use my EU license. We have a DMV appointment on December 30th though, let's see what happens. It's a rather small DMV...

Question: they list also military ID as acceptable ID - mine expires in 2012, would that fly????

[Griffon64 0]

Anna C. - that would definitely fly! You'll get a driver's license that's valid until your military ID expires, I believe. That's how they generally work it. You're fortunate that you have a license to fall back on - I had to jump through all the hoops described above because I didn't!

[Dakine 26]

Hard not to blame anyone for not accepting the extension letter. No picture and it doen't look very official. I imagine it's pretty easy to fake also.

[YuAndDan 153]

Hm I got that same letter and haven't heard since. My license expires Saturday! For now I'll just use my EU license. We have a DMV appointment on December 30th though, let's see what happens. It's a rather small DMV...

Question: they list also military ID as acceptable ID - mine expires in 2012, would that fly????

A word of caution about the EU license, most states have in their DMV laws that a person cannot legally have 2 drivers licenses typically most states require the prior license turned in when they issue a driver's license.

If caught driving with older license after the state issued a new license, the penitently can be harsh "Aggravated Unlicensed Operation of a Motor Vehicle".

http://law.onecle.com/new-york/vehicle-and...AT0511_511.html

[Married_my_love 0]

When I received the mailed notice from the California DMV that I needed to provide them with evidence of my continuing legal presence in the USA, I mailed back a copy of the front and back of the letter, as well as a copy of the front and back of my expiring green card, and a cover letter explaining that the two together proves my legal residence for another year.

Nothing doing. I didn't hear anything back from them.

I'm in California too, when we got the letter from the DMV we misplaced the envelope. I called the DMV and asked what address to send the USCIS extension letter and was put on a hold for a while. The woman came back and gave me a SPECIFIC department PO Box (I even googled this and could not find the address prior to the call). She said if it was mailed to anywhere else, it would not get approved. Seems there is a small office somewhere who expect and accept that letter and know what to look for.

BTW, for anyone in Cali; We mailed to that department late October, the DL expired 11/26 and my husband got his new drivers license last night. He's been driving expired for 3 weeks.

[Anna C. 4]

CA doesn't take your EU license away - they saw it when I applied and could have asked for it but didn't. The DMV lady just commented on how nice it is that it never expires...

Allrighty, I'll post when I come back from my appointment or when I get the new license via mail....

[*JG* 2]

California sucks. Missouri took the extension letter, no problem.

[Anna C. 4]

So... My DL arrived last week at my old address (MIL's house) and it will expire in 2012... I'm surprised as I expected all the hurdles some of you guys had to deal with....

Anna

[brtlmj 0]

I'm in California too, when we got the letter from the DMV we misplaced the envelope. I called the DMV and asked what address to send the USCIS extension letter and was put on a hold for a while. The woman came back and gave me a SPECIFIC department PO Box (I even googled this and could not find the address prior to the call). She said if it was mailed to anywhere else, it would not get approved. Seems there is a small office somewhere who expect and accept that letter and know what to look for.

Do you happen to remember this address? I will face the same problem very soon. Thanks!

[Married_my_love 0]

Do you happen to remember this address? I will face the same problem very soon. Thanks!

I'll post it for you this evening, it is by my desk at home. I realized after posting that it's the Dept., rather than the PO Box, that is most important.

[calOC 0]

DMV office in Fullerton, CA accepted the extension letter and renewed my wife's driver's license.

[Griffon64 0]

Looks like I have the only loser DMV office in California!

[eau_xplain 2]

Looks like I have the only loser DMV office in California!

Unfortunately that might be true. However, kudos to you for keeping your cool in spite of the DMV people being such a pain.