I’m not blaming anyone . . if anything, it’s my own fault but I spent 1 hour, 20 minutes awaiting my turn at the DMV. I had all the documents I thought I might need: Marriage license, birth certificate, two forms of address verification, proof of insuance, valid Texas license and who knows what else. I’ve had driver’s licenses in Kentucky, Missouri and Texas, with Texas being the Real ID type license. Did I ever have to show proof of my divorce? No! In MO now . . YES! Not only do they have to have the Judgment of Divorce but they have to have that marriage license too!
The Kentucky marriage license shows my mother’s name, my father’s name and the number of my birth certificate but that was not enough for them. Ugghh! Came back home, called the Clerk of Court in Lake Charles. The records for the divorce were stored off site and were destroyed in the hurricane so I’ll get an affidavit saying they can’t provide that record. Called the Clerk of Court in Orange, Texas where the previous marriage happened. They found it and are sending it.
I understand that it’s a little more effort to get the Real ID license but what the heck? If I had Real ID license in Texas, I feel like MO should have accepted that along with some proof of identification and residency by NOT having to go back to everything I’ve done since first grade!
It’s OK. I did better than Vince. He has no idea where his birth certificate is and had to order a new one so . . we both sit and wait. Thank goodness my Texas license doesn’t expire til 2024 because it may be that long before I get up the nerve to go back to the DMV.
Donna Williams says
Ugh. Had my valid passport and all the papers you noted and not the ones you didn’t have and the same thing. So painful. Sorry you have to go through that.
Judy Laquidara says
I actually did find a certified copy of Judgment of Divorce (after I ordered a new one) but who keeps a certified copy of their marriage license? I guess I will from now on.
Sibyl Scott says
Judy you had a Missouri license prior, can’t they use that info? Your prior marriage and divorce was way prior to you moving to Missouri the first time. If it was good enough for them then, why not now? Love hate relationship with government. OH and when we moved from Missouri back in 1969 we said we were leaving (misery) (a play on words).
Judy Laquidara says
I asked the same question and she said “Things have changed!” I understand with the Real ID, some things are more strict but I have a Texas Real ID license. Except for that one little girl, we wouldn’t be back here so I have to keep reminding myself that you sometimes have to give . . even when it makes no sense.
My dad said “I guess that’s why they call it the Show Me State! They want to see EVERYTHING!”
Diana says
Just went thru this. Had my original from the hospital birth certif, with my mother’s handwriting on it and a gold embossed seal. (plus all the other razmatazz dos they want) That birth certif wouldn’t work. I had to have a “certified” birth certif. Had to pay state of OH for that and wait, then took it all back in. Went I went back in I asked them “Don’t you recognize my mother’s handwriting?” I laughed, they laughed. so glad that’s over
Carol says
When I renewed mine I used my passport which they were accepting at the time. They told me that all documentation would be required when renewing again. That seems beyond ridiculous if nothing has changed
Dottie Newkirk says
When we lived in WV (spent 20 years there) I got my new driver’s license with showing my PA license and a birth certificate……fast forward 15 years into our 20 year stay and the license came up for renewal and for that renewal I had to show my marriage (certified copy) to show how my name changed. SO many women were in there thoroughly upset that they had to show a certified copy of every time/way their last name had changed from the time they were born. These women had been married/divorced/remarried several times and “almost” needed a book to track all the certified copies of their name changes. I thought WV was the only state that went through all the name changes, but guess MO is doing the same. I wonder how long it will be before all states require that information?!?!?
When we moved back to Texas, I asked if they could use my “old” Texas DL information for my new one and they said no, had to start from scratch.
Judy Laquidara says
I won’t do it becausew I always follow the rules but I see why people drive without a license! They make it so hard and it’s almost impossible to do it all in one trip.
Liz says
My regular license was going to expire when there was a news story about the lines at the DMV and tag agencies were requiring appointments which were scheduled about 3 weeks in advance. Almost as bad as getting a C-19 vaccine appt. I didn’t need a real ID at the moment since I have a passport. So, I was able to renew my DL online. I just had to send a new picture and a copy of the current license. It took about a month to get the new one back. I carried a copy of the application with my DL for the month, just in case I was stopped. At a later time, I can go get the Real ID.
But I did go check online what OK was requiring and it is a long list if you need to prove every name change from birth to current. OK does accept a current passport instead of a birth certificate. What’s even better, there is no cost for being over 65!
Since you have a safe room, are you going to put a small file cabinet in there to store all of these papers now that you have found them?
Judy Laquidara says
There’s already two four drawer filing cabinets in the safe room! That’s where the papers were and that’s where I’ll put the first marriage license when it arrives.
Unfortunately, MO doesn’t have quite as many details on their website and there’s still a charge for over 65.
Kay Spiegel says
when I moved to PA, I gave them my 50 year old MI marriage license. They said it was not official and I had toget an official one from MI. I had to have MI write a letter saying this was the only official license they had on file. I used the same birth certificate all my life for everything until I tried to get my deceased husband’s SS benefits at age 58. No good. Had to get a copy from State of Michigan.
SusanB says
You guys are making me glad I’m perpetually single. 2 years ago, all I had to show was my birth certificate, social security card, a piece of mail to verity that I received mail at my address and 1 more thing that I can’t think of, but might have been my renewal notice. That was to get a real ID driver’s license in Missouri. No name changes to worry about.
Judy Laquidara says
Yes! Vince said “Think how frustrating this would be if you had been married a dozen times!”
Frieda says
Sometimes going to a different DMV helps. Sometimes you get someone who’d doesn’t really know what they are doing
Judy Laquidara says
The one we went to today was supposed to be the better one. There are two more but they’re both a good ways down the interstate so we’ll jump through their hoops and eventually get it done. If not, my Texas license is good til 2024 or until they put me in jail for not having a resident driver’s license.
Susan says
I got so fed up and just got the regular license. I carry my passport card with me all the time anyway. In 4 years when I’m due again I’ll see if it gets any easier.
Judy Laquidara says
They wouldn’t even let me get the regular license without all the marriage license/divorce records.
Pat Anderson says
Seems amazing to me…no ID needed to vote so why all the fuss?
Judy Laquidara says
Pretty crazy, isn’t it?
Sibyl Scott says
Ok I thought my drivers license was real. It isn’t a fake one–it comes from the Texas DPS office. isn’t that a real license? Or is this something different? I showed my birth certificate when I started driving at 15/16 years of age, and showed my marriage license when I got married 40+ years ago. Don’t have any other kind of government ID or any work ID so hope that is all they need next time I renew–will have to go in as last time I did it online.
Elle says
I don’t have a birth certificate as I was born at home…..in a foreign country. My legal record of birth there? …..Baptismal certificate. Try that one LOL.
I’m sorry it’s such a PITA! Sometimes rules are so stupid.
Cindy F says
When I went through this a number of years ago I had to go get a new social security card as I had never changed my name to my married name on it. When I went to the social security office to make the change I found that there was a discrepancy on the location of birth. The one they had on file was issued by the State Department and lists the Japanese prefecture (equivalent to state) as location whereas the one I’ve been using issued by the military shows the base I was born at. Fortunately the person working with me didn’t make an issue of it.
Peggy says
Oh Judy! I feel your pain. Went through the same thing when I moved from Texas to Ohio and it was a nightmare. Even having a passport wasn’t enough to prove my identity. I’d thrown away previous marriage certificates a divorce decrees when I left Texas, and then had to pay to replace them all when I tried to get legal in Ohio. The DMV clerk said it’s because of The Patriot Act. Sooo frustrating!
Judy Laquidara says
The Patriot Act was passed in 2001. I got a MO driver’s license in 2007 and a Texas license in 2011 and never had to go through any of this. If it’s taking them 20 years to get up to speed, that’s a problem in and of itself.
I think what I was dealing with was part of the Real ID Act but even so, it was passed in 2005 and I got licenses twice since then and didn’t have to deal with this. Even when I asked if I could just get a license that wasn’t Real ID compliant, she said no . . still had to have the marriage license and divorce papers.
risingerl@gmail.com says
I read these stories and got to thinking. Women have to have all this paperwork, especially if they’ve been married, divorced, re-married, maybe more than once. Yet men can probably waltz into the DMV with their old license and their birth certificate and be out in minutes. Do they think women are more likely to be terrorists? I remember when the post office wanted two or three forms of ID to renew the PO Box. Kind of tricky when they want your home address but insist that all mail be addressed to the PO Box. This was after 9-11 and when all was said and done I asked the Postmaster if after all the fuss he was really sure I wasn’t a terrorist because if I was I would be sure to have all the proper paperwork. His jaw dropped & he actually got a shade paler. Made me laugh!
Twyla says
Maybe in the long run this info will be to your advantage. Maybe it will help if you have your identity stolen. There are MANY people crossing the border with no info. The question is how is our government going to issue ID to them? /by the way the “birth certificate” your parents got from the hospital is not a legal document. It was more of a memento of your birth. It has caused numerous problems thru the years when they were tried to be used to start school, get a drivers license and marriage license. I have received many chewing outs over that little certificate when I worked where marriage licenses were issued.
Judy Laquidara says
The one I got is actually certified by the State of Louisiana and is accepted because it has a seal on it.