The driver’s license renewal is a horror! I went to the office two and a half weeks before my birthday, satisfied and certain I had all my documents. I got there, and found out I needed an appointment. On my way out, the receptionist told me that if I have been married, I would need a certified or original copy of my marriage license. I am not a stupid person, and in reading all the instructions, this had not been clear to me. I confirmed this with a phone call.
So, having been married over 36 years ago, and divorced 31 years ago, I do have my divorce papers, but not my marriage certificate. It doesn’t matter that my driver’s license has my maiden name, or that I have security clearance with a federal ID, or that I have my divorce certificate, or that my fingerprints have been taken numerous times. As I was married in New York, I have to remember if I got my license in New York City or outside the city. Then the application asks what borough and the groom’s birth date. I do not know. I lived in Brooklyn, he lived in Manhattan, we were married in Hungtington, Long Island.
The first appointment I could obtain was Oct. 1. My license expires on Sept. 6. I am healing from a broken foot, have back problems and cannot stand in a line for hours. I don’t know when I will get my certified copy of my marriage license, but hopefully, I will have it by Oct. 1! The phone numbers shown online to contact the DMV are consistently busy. The number for marriage license questions in New York City is kaput.
I am doing my best, and I don’t want to drive with an expired license. What are we supposed to do in a situation like this? A call to my state representative’s office was futile. I need an extension, and deserve an extension. I hesitate to give my name, lest I be penalized for a license that expires.
Debbie Rozanski is a resident of Pembroke Pines.
