Iowa Driver's License Misery (Cedar Rapids: transplants, 2014, transfer)

[LLN]

Surely someone on the forum has prevailed. Here is the story:

My daughter is up against a brick wall at the Driver's License office trying to get an Iowa Driver's License.

My daughter, North Carolina native, was married October 2019. After getting married she changed her NC Driver's License and her Social Security Card/number to reflect her married surname.

In the fall she and her husband moved to Cedar Rapids.

Here is where the problem occurs. In trying to obtain an Iowa Driver's license she presented the following:

1) Her NC Driver's license (married name)
2) Her Social Security Card (married name)
3) Her certified Birth Certificate (maiden name)

and, here's the rub:
4) Her certified Marriage License (maiden name)

I understand Iowa's marriage license/certificate has a field for maiden name and a field for new, married name. North Carolina's (and many other states) only have a single field for her name on the license/certificate, which of course, would be maiden name since when filling out the license, she was not married. We have learned the NC type certificate is known, in the biz, as a 3 in 1.

The Driver's License office in Cedar Rapids does not accept her NC Marriage Certificate/License as a valid document to confirm name change and hence, she is unable to obtain an Iowa Driver's license. Looking on the Dept of Transportation web page, a certified Marriage License is required, which she has, but it does not have her married name on it.

We do not know how to resolve this. Both NC and Iowa confirm identity with the Social Security Administration. My daughter has talked to people there and they confirm her identity is solid and they will confirm when Iowa checks. They were incredulous that the Cedar Rapids Driver's License office would balk at giving a Driver's License when presented with the items listed above (and several others, such as bills, etc)

Help. My daughter has a newborn, is not getting much sleep and is about to lose it over this quagmire. Any help, suggestions, anything at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

[riffle]

Does she have a valid passport? This is a great reason to maintain one.

Sorry, I don't have any good suggestions. It seems like the certified marriage certificate with her maiden name and her husband's name should be enough to connect the dots maybe try again at a different DMV office?

https://www.legis.iowa.gov/docs/iac/....761.601.5.pdf
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/st...ision/5308877/

[lthenderson]

My wife just paid the fee for a certified marriage license. It has her maiden name on it but it also has my surname on it which reflects her other documents and we had no problems getting a license.

[LLN]

That is what we have. Maybe it is the Cedar Rapids office.

[smpliving]

I’m surprised the DMV can’t offer steps needed to remedy this situation. I moved to CR 27 years ago from the West Coast but was married for a few years at the time.

Sorry I can’t be of help. Maybe a different DMV as was previously suggested. I suspect we don’t get many transplants to Iowa but still there must be some. (Maybe Legal Aid office if all else fails).

[Cloudy Dayz]

Originally Posted by LLN

Surely someone on the forum has prevailed. Here is the story:

My daughter is up against a brick wall at the Driver's License office trying to get an Iowa Driver's License.

My daughter, North Carolina native, was married October 2019. After getting married she changed her NC Driver's License and her Social Security Card/number to reflect her married surname.

In the fall she and her husband moved to Cedar Rapids.

Here is where the problem occurs. In trying to obtain an Iowa Driver's license she presented the following:

1) Her NC Driver's license (married name)
2) Her Social Security Card (married name)
3) Her certified Birth Certificate (maiden name)

and, here's the rub:
4) Her certified Marriage License (maiden name)

I understand Iowa's marriage license/certificate has a field for maiden name and a field for new, married name. North Carolina's (and many other states) only have a single field for her name on the license/certificate, which of course, would be maiden name since when filling out the license, she was not married. We have learned the NC type certificate is known, in the biz, as a 3 in 1.

The Driver's License office in Cedar Rapids does not accept her NC Marriage Certificate/License as a valid document to confirm name change and hence, she is unable to obtain an Iowa Driver's license. Looking on the Dept of Transportation web page, a certified Marriage License is required, which she has, but it does not have her married name on it.

We do not know how to resolve this. Both NC and Iowa confirm identity with the Social Security Administration. My daughter has talked to people there and they confirm her identity is solid and they will confirm when Iowa checks. They were incredulous that the Cedar Rapids Driver's License office would balk at giving a Driver's License when presented with the items listed above (and several others, such as bills, etc)

Help. My daughter has a newborn, is not getting much sleep and is about to lose it over this quagmire. Any help, suggestions, anything at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Can she just apply for a driver's license using her maiden name? If Iowa refuses to recognize her married name, then she should just use her maiden name for it.

For what it is worth, a lot of people all over the country are in the same boat right now. Some people don't have a Birth Certificate at all. They are just SOL.

ENNIS, Texas — Albert Bigler has been a licensed driver for at least 65 of his 95 years in the state of Texas. But unless he can produce a birth certificate, the Department of Public Safety has told him he can't renew that license.

The only problem? A birth certificate is something that Bigler, born in 1924, says he has never, ever had.

This past July, when his current driver's license was due to expire, he went to the DPS office in Corsicana to get it renewed. But as he was filling out the paperwork he says he was approached by a worker in the office who wanted to make sure he had a birth certificate. He didn't. Actually, he's never had one.

But still, he's been told that without a birth certificate to prove who he is, he won't get a new license.

"I think it stinks," he said.

And in addition to not being able to legally drive, he's worried he is losing his ability to vote and his ability to renew his fishing license, too. He no longer has a valid form of identification.

"It's very important to me because it's just like taking everything away from me."

Texas law can require documents like a birth certificate to establish citizenship, to fight identify fraud, and to show you have a legal presence here.

Meanwhile, Bigler does still drive his Ford pickup truck in and around Ennis. But he'd like to do it legally.

95-year-old can't renew his driver's license _ wfaa.com

[Seguinite]

Originally Posted by LLN

Surely someone on the forum has prevailed. Here is the story:

My daughter is up against a brick wall at the Driver's License office trying to get an Iowa Driver's License.

My daughter, North Carolina native, was married October 2019. After getting married she changed her NC Driver's License and her Social Security Card/number to reflect her married surname.

In the fall she and her husband moved to Cedar Rapids.

Here is where the problem occurs. In trying to obtain an Iowa Driver's license she presented the following:

1) Her NC Driver's license (married name)
2) Her Social Security Card (married name)
3) Her certified Birth Certificate (maiden name)

and, here's the rub:
4) Her certified Marriage License (maiden name)

I understand Iowa's marriage license/certificate has a field for maiden name and a field for new, married name. North Carolina's (and many other states) only have a single field for her name on the license/certificate, which of course, would be maiden name since when filling out the license, she was not married. We have learned the NC type certificate is known, in the biz, as a 3 in 1.

The Driver's License office in Cedar Rapids does not accept her NC Marriage Certificate/License as a valid document to confirm name change and hence, she is unable to obtain an Iowa Driver's license. Looking on the Dept of Transportation web page, a certified Marriage License is required, which she has, but it does not have her married name on it.

We do not know how to resolve this. Both NC and Iowa confirm identity with the Social Security Administration. My daughter has talked to people there and they confirm her identity is solid and they will confirm when Iowa checks. They were incredulous that the Cedar Rapids Driver's License office would balk at giving a Driver's License when presented with the items listed above (and several others, such as bills, etc)

Help. My daughter has a newborn, is not getting much sleep and is about to lose it over this quagmire. Any help, suggestions, anything at all will be greatly appreciated. Thank you in advance.

Honestly, I think she gave it the ol' college try. Have her call her Iowa state representative and let him/her ask the questions. That's ridiculous.

[LLN]

Thanks for the suggestions. I have advised going to a different county. Will keep the idea of contacting representative in mind.

I have received a call from Iowa DMV, and we have forwarded all the documents. Hoping for a positive outcome.

Thanks again.

[PamelaIamela]

Since when do you need a birth certificate to transfer a driver's license to another state?
Just use the NC License and the appropriate docs to show she lives in Iowa and that should do the trick.
It's worked in other states so what's special about Iowa?
The hell with the marriage part... why is that even relevant?

[riffle]

Originally Posted by PamelaIamela

Since when do you need a birth certificate to transfer a driver's license to another state?
Just use the NC License and the appropriate docs to show she lives in Iowa and that should do the trick.
It's worked in other states so what's special about Iowa?
The hell with the marriage part... why is that even relevant?

Thank your federal government for REAL-ID.

https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/about-real-id