Wife just updated her citizenship status for Texas driver's license

[Crazy Cat 41,804]

Really simple process.  Wife's 7 year Texas DL expired in August.  In our area, it takes about 3 months to get an appointment.  Yesterday, we went to the DPS office in Garland.  Wife needed to renew her license, make an address change (non-citizens cannot do that online), and change her citizenship status.

 

Texas requires Green Card holders to bring proof of lawful status when renewing a DL.  In addition, Green Card holders cannot make an address change online.  We downloaded and completed a the DL-14A before going to the appointment.  It's the form used for new applicants, renewals, and changes to existing DLs.  After waiting for our number to be called 30 minutes after our appointment, the lady scanned both wife's US passport and Naturalization Certificate into the system.   The lady took a new picture, and she did a very basic vision test (she stood back and held up an 8x11 piece of paper with some letter printed on it).  She then issued my wife a "paper license" to use until her plastic one arrives.  She said we can now make online address changes if needed in the future.

 

Wife's new DL expires in 2032...🤣

[mam521 2,056]

I was surprised when I came back as a GC holder and they gave me an 8yr expiry on my TX DL.  It had been such a battle before on my L1 with everything tied to the visa dates and DPS requiring SAVE checks (not mad about SAVE, but I do think it should be more expeditious, if not instantaneous), not to mention the "herded like cattle" feeling, being stuck in the chairs at the DPS office for hours at a time.  

 

HTH your wife got through unscathed!  

[Rekyrts 43]

4 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Really simple process.  Wife's 7 year Texas DL expired in August.  In our area, it takes about 3 months to get an appointment.  Yesterday, we went to the DPS office in Garland.  Wife needed to renew her license, make an address change (non-citizens cannot do that online), and change her citizenship status.

 

Texas requires Green Card holders to bring proof of lawful status when renewing a DL.  In addition, Green Card holders cannot make an address change online.  We downloaded and completed a the DL-14A before going to the appointment.  It's the form used for new applicants, renewals, and changes to existing DLs.  After waiting for our number to be called 30 minutes after our appointment, the lady scanned both wife's US passport and Naturalization Certificate into the system.   The lady took a new picture, and she did a very basic vision test (she stood back and held up an 8x11 piece of paper with some letter printed on it).  She then issued my wife a "paper license" to use until her plastic one arrives.  She said we can now make online address changes if needed in the future.

 

Wife's new DL expires in 2032...🤣

 

Interesting that they checked/scanned passport and CON. They really need both? 

 

So happy for her! It's the "little" things that count.

[Crazy Cat 41,804]

26 minutes ago, Rekyrts said:

 

Interesting that they checked/scanned passport and CON. They really need both? 

 

So happy for her! It's the "little" things that count.

I asked the lady if she needed both.  She said "I can scan both of them into the system".  The instructions said that either would have been sufficient.

[Crazy Cat 41,804]

7 hours ago, mam521 said:

I was surprised when I came back as a GC holder and they gave me an 8yr expiry on my TX DL.

When my wife arrived via a CR-1 in 2017, she got her 1st Texas DL.  Luckily, Texas has an agreement with Taiwan, so she was able to just swap her Taiwanese DL with a Texas DL (no tests at all).  It was a 7 year license (then).  

[Leeman15251 35]

21 hours ago, Crazy Cat said:

Really simple process.  Wife's 7 year Texas DL expired in August.  In our area, it takes about 3 months to get an appointment.  Yesterday, we went to the DPS office in Garland.  Wife needed to renew her license, make an address change (non-citizens cannot do that online), and change her citizenship status.

 

Texas requires Green Card holders to bring proof of lawful status when renewing a DL.  In addition, Green Card holders cannot make an address change online.  We downloaded and completed a the DL-14A before going to the appointment.  It's the form used for new applicants, renewals, and changes to existing DLs.  After waiting for our number to be called 30 minutes after our appointment, the lady scanned both wife's US passport and Naturalization Certificate into the system.   The lady took a new picture, and she did a very basic vision test (she stood back and held up an 8x11 piece of paper with some letter printed on it).  She then issued my wife a "paper license" to use until her plastic one arrives.  She said we can now make online address changes if needed in the future.

 

Wife's new DL expires in 2032...🤣

It takes 3 months to get an appointment for a license in Texas? The Ohio BMV is much better apparently, no appointments needed and I’ve never waited more than 20 mins to do anything in them. Plus you can visit any of the locations in the state it does not have to be a local one. 

[mam521 2,056]

5 hours ago, Leeman15251 said:

It takes 3 months to get an appointment for a license in Texas? The Ohio BMV is much better apparently, no appointments needed and I’ve never waited more than 20 mins to do anything in them. Plus you can visit any of the locations in the state it does not have to be a local one. 

Depends where you are in TX.  You can go to any location, but it doesn't guarantee anything.  There are some walk ins, but it's going to take hours if you attempt a walk in.  Appointments are the best way at DPS.  

[Crazy Cat 41,804]

Wife's new DL arrived in 8 days......must be a new record...LOL.