Horribly Rude Treatment at Texas Driver Licensing

[candyricardo 1]

Hey Guys,

Just wanted to share our morning's events with you. Talk about ignorance at its best.

So, we go to the DPS here in San Antonio. The web site states that you can get a temporary driver license with proof of legal status and your passport or I-94. So, we go down there with my hubbie's B1/B2 Visa, Passport, I-94, and our AOS paperwork, just incase.

Well, this horribly rude girl, no older than 25 I would say, not only was rude, she was blatently ignorant. She "shouted" and I mean shouted to the point that she got the attention of the entire waiting area. "This is not proof of legal status, in fact this is a BORDER CROSSING CARD and you are not allowed 30 miles from the border". We told her no, this is a visa..and again she shouts "No...this is a border crossing card"...and of course we say "no it isn't" and I pulled out his I-94 and I don't think she even knew what it was......but kept going on about how he needed to come back when he was a Permanent Resident....I was so in shock...I swear...I couldn't say a word...The people in the room were feeling our humiliation, I swear...I just took the papers back and told him...let's go.

I even got home and re-read the website and it states he can have a temporary driver license with a valid visa, but this *&%$@ was not seeing anything but the RACE card in his hand. I swear. Rrrrr Ignorance.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

If you know he's eligible for a DL (I don't know how they do it in Texas), take the instructions you found online with all his papers & go back & ask for a supervisor.

[Radkova 11]

why did you leave?? i say go back there and talk to a person in charge and have her reported. did you get your working card yet?? if so bring that too.. when my mom went to get her ID, all they had to do is call uscis and check everything... good luck

[mjaskiew 8]

If your husband only has a B1/B2 visa and I-94, I'm afraid he won't be able to obtain a DL in Texas. If he already has EAD - then no problem, but the DL wil have Temporary Visitor designation and will be valid for about a year. It's better to wait until he gets his green card, then he can come back and get a regular, 6 years, no designation license. Here is the link with all immigration scenarios and visas and eligibility fo a DL in Texas: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/ImmigrationStatusChart.pdf

On the other hand, I do agree with others - you should have complained to a supervisor. I also had an unpleasant experience at TX DL Office and I filed a complaint. It was promptly responded by a supervisor of this specific location and he at least apologized to me...

Good luck!

[Briggi 0]

Try to go to another branch.

[obnancy 5]

Hi Candy,

I feel your pain and frustration! We had a similar experience at the DMV in CA. They gave him a driver license but when he got it, it was only good for two months when his original I-94 expires. When he asked for an extension they said come back when he is a legal resident and they will renew it, but not until then. They would not take the NOA's or our explanation that he is in AOS and here legally, but is not yet a resident. UGHHHH!!!!

From reading through these forums and the net I think there may be a way to expediate the process. It looks like if you ask your congressman to help expediate the EAD, once you get that, you may be able to get the license. I am going to call my congressman today to find out if they will help.

As far as the race issue, they were just as rude and unhelpful to my husband and he is a very anglo looking Australian man.

Hope everything works out for you.

[TLJohnson 1]

I am so, so sorry that you both had to go through that humiliating experience. I have been doing a lot of research lately on what it will take for my fiance to drive here in Texas once he arrives with his K1 so that we can try to avoid some of those same issues, and I have to say that I have been very disappointed with what I have found out thus far. Especially after the passage of the racist RealID laws here in Texas, I know it is now impossible for someone to get a license until they have their EAD.

I have spent hours on the phone with DPS and my insurance agent trying to figure everything out, and I think the best answer I have come up with is to just have my fiance get a Mexican drivers license, and then get an international drivers license. From what I have been told, even though the Mexican drivers licenses are not given reciprocity in Texas, the international drivers license will be acknowledged for one year from its issuance date in Mexico (totally logical, right?). This way, my fiance will be able to drive here until he gets his EAD without having to go through the BS at the DPS.

In researching all of this, I have heard that no one really understands the RealID laws and the different visa requirements, so many people have had luck just trying different DPS offices in their city. Barring that, once you get your EAD everyone seems to be able to get their license (albeit a different looking one). Some people suggest bringing printouts of the various laws to the DPS as well. Good luck!

[candyricardo 1]

I am so, so sorry that you both had to go through that humiliating experience. I have been doing a lot of research lately on what it will take for my fiance to drive here in Texas once he arrives with his K1 so that we can try to avoid some of those same issues, and I have to say that I have been very disappointed with what I have found out thus far. Especially after the passage of the racist RealID laws here in Texas, I know it is now impossible for someone to get a license until they have their EAD.

I have spent hours on the phone with DPS and my insurance agent trying to figure everything out, and I think the best answer I have come up with is to just have my fiance get a Mexican drivers license, and then get an international drivers license. From what I have been told, even though the Mexican drivers licenses are not given reciprocity in Texas, the international drivers license will be acknowledged for one year from its issuance date in Mexico (totally logical, right?). This way, my fiance will be able to drive here until he gets his EAD without having to go through the BS at the DPS.

In researching all of this, I have heard that no one really understands the RealID laws and the different visa requirements, so many people have had luck just trying different DPS offices in their city. Barring that, once you get your EAD everyone seems to be able to get their license (albeit a different looking one). Some people suggest bringing printouts of the various laws to the DPS as well. Good luck!

Yes, I agree. Getting his license in Mexico may be the best route to avoid an unpleasant experience like this one. My husband had a license in the State of Washington when I lived there. As a visitor he only needed the bare minimum and they are very friendly in Seattle. Now Texas, well, they are a bit traumatized I think with all this border stuff going on. We just unfortunately took the brunt of somebody's poor attitude.

I won't go back. We will just wait until he gets an EAD or after our interview, as it is only a month away. It was just awful. I am not usually so down in the mouth, but I just was so shocked I couldn't even speak. Plus I just got work after a 12 hour night shift, so I was a bit out of sorts.

The website DOES say however, that a visitor can obtain a temporary driver license with a valid visa and unexpired I-94. It is only good for 6 months though.

Oh well, what's another month.

[candyricardo 1]

If your husband only has a B1/B2 visa and I-94, I'm afraid he won't be able to obtain a DL in Texas. If he already has EAD - then no problem, but the DL wil have Temporary Visitor designation and will be valid for about a year. It's better to wait until he gets his green card, then he can come back and get a regular, 6 years, no designation license. Here is the link with all immigration scenarios and visas and eligibility fo a DL in Texas: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/ImmigrationStatusChart.pdf

On the other hand, I do agree with others - you should have complained to a supervisor. I also had an unpleasant experience at TX DL Office and I filed a complaint. It was promptly responded by a supervisor of this specific location and he at least apologized to me...

Good luck!

Thanks for the link. I had read actually somewhere else where it said a valid visitor visa and a I-94, but I never saw this link before. I guess it's all the same now. He has a Washington State license from when we were up there, but he hasn't been driving as we don't want problems, as technically you are supposed to change over after a month of being in the state.

Yes, I certainly should have said something, and as with any circumstance like this one, thought of a million things I should have said. I was just so shocked, and at a loss of words. Especially after trying 3 times to explain to her the difference between a B1/B2 visa and a border crossing card. If she really knew what she was talking about she would have known the I-94 is for interior travel, and stamped at the San Antonio airport, a lot more than 30 miles from the border.

I just didn't have it in me. Sometimes it is best to just walk away. Our day will come hehehe, and we will go to the same office, and hopefully the same person, and this time I will be prepared.

[candyricardo 1]

Hi Candy,

I feel your pain and frustration! We had a similar experience at the DMV in CA. They gave him a driver license but when he got it, it was only good for two months when his original I-94 expires. When he asked for an extension they said come back when he is a legal resident and they will renew it, but not until then. They would not take the NOA's or our explanation that he is in AOS and here legally, but is not yet a resident. UGHHHH!!!!

From reading through these forums and the net I think there may be a way to expediate the process. It looks like if you ask your congressman to help expediate the EAD, once you get that, you may be able to get the license. I am going to call my congressman today to find out if they will help.

As far as the race issue, they were just as rude and unhelpful to my husband and he is a very anglo looking Australian man.

I should have walked away when we first walked in. There was a black man at the counter and she was barking at him as well. He too walked away with his head down. So I guess it probably wasn't the Mexican part, it was just her. Sometimes it feels that way though. I remember thinking "how rude" when we heard how she treated the other man. I had that bad feeling in my gut and should have gone with it.

The problem too is that this is a ver small office, so the people are all seated right there, and her voice, not only loud and obnoxious without exaggeration, echoed throughout the room. It was quite embarrasing.

Yeah, we are just going to wait. Our interview is in August, so what's another month.

Hope everything works out for you.

[candyricardo 1]

why did you leave?? i say go back there and talk to a person in charge and have her reported. did you get your working card yet?? if so bring that too.. when my mom went to get her ID, all they had to do is call uscis and check everything... good luck

I know, I guess I was just in shock. I can't explain it. I have never had something like this happen. I actually felt like the feeling was going out of my legs with the humiliation. It was a hideous event. I then tried to call the main phone line, to no avail. I also tried to call the office itself. You know how that goes, nobody answers. I am just going to leave it alone for now. Not worth all that energy.

Some people just shouldn't be in positions of public service though.

[engineer21 51]

Ouch. I'm sorry to hear this, candy!

I don't know why but I think rude DMV worker is quite common no matter where you go.

There are really nice ones too though.. sort of like Immigration officers too I guess..

I remember the last time I was at the DMV in massachusetts. The lady behind the information counter was so completely rude and mean to these two men in front of me who had accents. Then when it was my turn, she was perfectly nice and lovely even congratulated me for the recent wedding (I went there to change my name)

Such an odd experience.. I almost want to say she was rude simply because the two men had accents and she a bit of a hard time understanding their questions, which is totally not OK!

I know, I guess I was just in shock. I can't explain it. I have never had something like this happen. I actually felt like the feeling was going out of my legs with the humiliation. It was a hideous event. I then tried to call the main phone line, to no avail. I also tried to call the office itself. You know how that goes, nobody answers. I am just going to leave it alone for now. Not worth all that energy.

Some people just shouldn't be in positions of public service though.

[MRStee 19]

Write a letter and let them have it professionally.. Always works for me. :thumbs:That way you have it documented on how they mistreated you...

[trillium13 84]

Write a letter and let them have it professionally.. Always works for me. :thumbs:That way you have it documented on how they mistreated you...

[IndigoSkies 168]

You took that kind of behavior without complaining. I blame you, OP.