driver license - new regulations - need help

[sittall]

New regulations (required by TSA?) to obtain a drivers license are denying me a license. I tried to get my driver license renewed. I was denied. Reason? I must now show several legal documents. Many of us no longer have these documents.

My marriage certificate of 40 years ago is lost. I was married on a military base in Athens Greece. I have NO idea how to get that document. I have been divorced for 35 years. That happened in CA and I have that document but it doesn’t show my maiden/birth name. At this point I will not be allowed to drive in Hawaii because I cannot find/get a copy of my marriage certificate.

I have a valid SSA card, previous drivers license and birth certificate. But because I took my husbands name and it does not match my birth certificate, I cannot get my drivers license renewed under these NEW regulations.

I sent an email to Hawaii state reps detailing my dilemna, but no responses yet. What to do???

[Obie]

We discussed this. Good luck!

http://www.punaweb.org/Forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=13806

Edit link .

[missydog1]

Ugh, that sucks for you. []

You probably don't want to, but you can take back your maiden name. I know, that would complicate your life in other ways.

Were you or your husband in the military? I'm sure there's a database and a way to get certificates.

Here is a forum that is all about the military. You could ask there.
http://forums.military.com/eve/forums
Here is a service that specializes in records retrieval:
http://apostille.us/Documents/Document_M...cate.shtml

or call the relevant branch of the military and ask ...
good luck!

[Kelena]

Passport.

[missydog1]

Passport is listed as a proof of legal name, but it is NOT listed on the Acceptable Document list for proving a name change. I figured the DMV would say if a Passport is acceptable.

This is the website with the official lists and rules:
http://hawaii.gov/dot/hawaiis-legal-presence-law

FAQ
My Hawaii birth certificate shows my birth name and my driverÕs license shows my married name. Am I required to present additional proof of legal presence?

Yes. You will need to present your certificate of marriage and your Hawaii birth certificate. Your Hawaii birth certificate will prove your legal presence and your certificate of marriage will establish your name change from your birth name to your married name which appears on your driverÕs license.


I want to submit my State certified birth certificate for proof of legal presence. The names of my social security card and my out-of-state driverÕs license match. The name on my State certified birth certificate is different from the name on my driverÕs license. Will this be sufficient?

The name on your driverÕs license must match the name on the document you present for proof of legal presence. In this scenario, you will be required to present proof of name change from your birth name to the name on your driverÕs license.

List of Acceptable Documents Ð Legal Name Change on Hawaii DriverÕs License
Document Description

Court Order for Name Change/ Adoption / Divorce Ð no others (Legal Name / DOB/ Court Seal required to accept the order
Marriage Certificate (Government Issued)
Certified decree of name change from the State of Hawaii Lieutenant GovernorÕs Office
Naturalization Certificate

On the bright side, you should be able to get a marriage certificate, especially if it is part of the US Military records database.

Two years ago I was able to get a registrar certified birth cert for my grandmother born in the 19th century, in Ireland, and not even in the hospital, but at home. And it only took two weeks, and they even used my BOH debit card as payment.

You just need to start making calls and if at first it's not the right place, ask, and follow the bread crumbs.

The only records I have not been able to get are in situations where all the records were filed as paper and held in one spot that burned down or flooded. Otherwise, you would be surprised at how easy it is.

[JerryCarr]

I got my DL renewed yesterday with my passport and Social Security card. There were married women in the line who used the same combination of documents successfully. I went to the U.S. Passport website, and their application and renewal processes include and carry forward legal name changes. Once your name change is in their system, it automatically goes forward as long as your passport has not expired for longer than five years without being renewed. Sittall did not mention having a passport, so unfortunately this way around her dilemma may be closed to her. Good luck.

One last note: The Homeland Security people now release and mail the official drivers license about two weeks after the renewal at the local office. The local guys give you a paper temporary license (with picture) that is good for about two months.

[Frankie Stapleton]

You could try going online to your county of birth and see if you can get a copy of your birth certificate. We had to do that for my daughter. Good luck!

[mailesomaha]

This is a great reason for women to stop taking men's names when they get married! But certainly change your name back when you get divorced. Who wants to be called by their ex-husband's name anyway? Not me!

I just went through this for a neighbor; she really just didn't ask for a certified copy "with the name change" when she ordered her divorce decree she received a certified copy. But the "name change" was on page 12 or something (Colorado). She was flipping out about it; gave those poor women at the Hilo driver's licence a REALLY hard time. I'm sure they thought she was off her meds; had to take her to Pahoa when she finally got the right papers.

You should go to the nearest recuiting office for the armed forces branch you or your husband were in when you got married in Greece. Tell them your situation and they will help you start the process of getting your divorce decree; then, change your name on all of your documents; this is the way of the world now, move with it.

From my grandma "I liked it before, the world was simpler....."

[Kelena]

This is a federal law (The Real ID act) implemented at the state level, probably poorly. States have the discretion to look at a range of documents, and in all likelihood, Hawaii does, given that it became a state about the time my mother thought I was old enough to have and take care of a dog. Documentation may be imperfect and may require a judgment call. Get to that person.

As for a name change, you can probably change your AT WILL. I do not have the name on my birth certificate. In my case, I just a ran a notice in the paper for for weeks, stated a nominal reason for the name change, and got my name changed in court.

If I wanted to, I am pretty sure I could change my current name TO MY CURRENT NAME. You would be clarifying your name. As a reason (if one is needed) I could say "Clarification of ambiguous dissolution documents, which did not specifically address whether I was maintaining my married name. I wish to maintain my married name."

But I seriously doubt that any of this is needed. The bureaucrats just aren't handling this correctly, and citizens are not pursuing their administrative remedies, which would certainly be the right to take it up the chain. In a place like Hawaii, you will often not have a perfect set of documents: Japanese lady, 80 years old, still driving. Even my dad didn't have a birth certificate.

All that needs to happen is you prove that you are a citizen (or here legally) and that your name is that which will be reflected on the license (identity). A passport proves both your identity and, in your case, your citizenship. Failing that, I would pursue administrative remedies and get a name change.


I am quite sure that this is very common. It is, in fact, my situation: Different birth name. However, I have both a passport and a name change order. Three pronged strategy: 1) Get them to change their minds IN PERSON (administrative remedies going up the chain), 2) Get a passport, 3) Get a name change TO YOUR CURRENT NAME.

It is possible that a judge will think the last one is a little too creative, but perhaps not. The state has compelled you to get a legal document, I would argue, the court is empowered to give it, and you can prove who you are to a court very easily (I assume) through your own testimony in combination with the documents you have.

But again, I could be wrong, but I think you may have just got the wrong person on the wrong day as this is all a bit counterintuitive, and contrary to popular opinion the law really does try to make sense (that level of cynicism really is destructive). I would go in again, providing the documents you have. I would also get clarification on whether a document establishing your legal identity (your name) must ALWAYS correlate with the name on the document establishing your citizenship (or right to be legally present here). It will rarely correlate for a married woman or a woman who has divorced but retained her husband's last name.

The passport is a daily double as it establishes your name and your citizenship. But I intuit these can be established SEPARATELY, provided that you can prove that you are the same person identified in those two documents even if they do not match.

No research here. I'm retired. And a little tired. These are crazy cat lady ruminations. Not advice. Not a lady. No cat.

[hereonearth]

The demand for birth certificates here in the state of Hawaii has caused not only a backlog but errors. I sent for one copy of a birth certificate in February. It arrived last week. The envelope contained not one, not two, but 3 birth certificates for 2 other individuals! Feel safer anyone?