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It was an extremely frustrating day today. I've been lax in changing my license from Arizona to Minnesota but decided to get it done. I went to the license bureau closest to me because my sister said they were open now.
Minnesota has instituted a new law where you have to pass a Knowledge Test on the driver's manual before you can apply for a license if you move here from another state. No big deal rigut? Except, there were only two towns near me (both approximately 50 miles away) and you were supposed to make an appointment.
Well, they didn't answer the phone at all and the system wouldn't let me in to make an appointment, so I took a chance and went as a walk-in. Now, I got there at 8:30 and they had me text a number to their number and I got a return text acknowledging my arrival. This unknown person was then supposed to text me an invitation to take the test.
I bought the cheapest android phone I could when I broke down and finally bought one because I usually use my tablet to do everything. It was acting up, losing the original message, etc. So I decided I better stand by the door and wait to be called. There were no chairs. The building was leased by the county specifically for testing on Mondays and Tuesdays only.
The lady was super nice and tried to get me to wait in my car but I didn't trust my phone and told her it was acting goofy. I think they finally just felt sorry for me and called me in at 10:30. Thankfully I passed the test and was able to apply for a license. I drove back to Fergus Falls and was able to apply for my license.
Unfortunately, either I filled out the wrong information or the information was keyed in incorrectly because the temporary license says I'm 5 ft 0in and I'm 5ft 5in. I emailed them on their website as I was on hold on the phone for 25 minutes and finally hung up. Hopefully they will read the email and fix it.
Oh, and the invite finally got to my phone at 4:30. Sure was a good thing I waited in the hall.
To explain a bit more, my Minnesota license expired last September but I also had my Arizona license, which didn't expire until 2022. When I went to get a Minnesota license, they couldn't do it because of the law about taking this test. But at the time I couldn't get in to take the test. So they said, well technically you have a legal license and maybe when you come back it'll be better. So that's what I did.
Now, when I sent the email, I checked my status. My application for a license is currently in review. I have no idea what that means and will have to watch it. I could be fined, I think, for not getting this taken care of sooner. You're supposed to change your license within 60 days. Currently I've been back since May and I had my vaccination done immediately upon getting back, so that may show up.
But, I changed my car title last year because I had left Arizona to come home and even though I was a licensed driver, my car was registered in Minnesota. My Arizona tabs were expiring and I couldn't get a hold of anyone to see if they could be sent to Minnesota. So that's when this whole thing happened.
I may be fined or maybe they'll recognize that no one was prepared for what happened this past year. All I can do is keep tabs on the status of the license.
"Unfortunately, either I filled out the wrong information or the information was keyed in incorrectly because the temporary license says I'm 5 ft 0in and I'm 5ft 5in. I emailed them on their website as I was on hold on the phone for 25 minutes and finally hung up. Hopefully they will read the email and fix it."
I wouldn't have worried about it. If, by some remote chance you get pulled over, I don't think state troopers pull out a tape measure to see if the height is right. lol
And, with the pandemic stuff going on, I don't think they're too worried about the 60 day deal. Kentucky was supposed to switch to the Real ID, but have postponed it for a year or two to get rid of all this Covid stuff. We got ours before everything started shutting down.
They've extended ours also. I'm not overly concerned about getting it. We'll see.
As for the height thing, I did ask what to do on their website and the response was that I would have to get a duplicate license for $17, which I feel is insane. Regardless, I would have to wait until I got the actual license, not the temporary paper one. You're right though. I haven't been stopped often, mainly for a light out that I wasn't aware of and I've never been asked to get out of the car.
It's one of those things that once seen you can't unsee and I'm honest to an extreme. That usually works in my favor as, if you don't have to remember what you said and tell the truth in the first place, the story stays the same.
You may also be right about the 60 days. There was an article on people not getting pulled over for expired tabs, I think it was in Arizona, because law enforcement recognised they weren't able to get their tabs because the offices were shut down. It's been such a crazy year and it looks like it may not be over yet.
To explain a bit more, my Minnesota license expired last September but I also had my Arizona license, which didn't expire until 2022. When I went to get a Minnesota license, they couldn't do it because of the law about taking this test. But at the time I couldn't get in to take the test. So they said, well technically you have a legal license and maybe when you come back it'll be better. So that's what I did.
Now, when I sent the email, I checked my status. My application for a license is currently in review. I have no idea what that means and will have to watch it. I could be fined, I think, for not getting this taken care of sooner. You're supposed to change your license within 60 days. Currently I've been back since May and I had my vaccination done immediately upon getting back, so that may show up.
But, I changed my car title last year because I had left Arizona to come home and even though I was a licensed driver, my car was registered in Minnesota. My Arizona tabs were expiring and I couldn't get a hold of anyone to see if they could be sent to Minnesota. So that's when this whole thing happened.
I may be fined or maybe they'll recognize that no one was prepared for what happened this past year. All I can do is keep tabs on the status of the license.
After you get your valid Minnesota license, make certain (follow up) that your Arizona license has been cancelled.
When I got my DL in Texas, the DL people in Texas took my physical California license (their idea) and said they would cancel my California license. For years after that I was still getting jury duty notices sent to my old address in California. Whenever they would come, I'd call the court, tell them again that I no longer lived in California, and the person said they'd take care of it. This went on for four years. Finally, one of the times I called in, the lady said she wanted to check something, and asked me to stay on hold while she did. She came back and said that I was continuing to get jury duty notices because my California DL hadn't been canceled . She told me to go to the DMV the next day and fill out a voluntary surrender of license form (I happened to be visiting California when I made the call), which I did, and the jury duty notices stopped coming.
It may just be the authorities in Texas who can't be trusted to cancel an out of state DL that they take possession of and say they will cancel but, at this point, I wouldn't rely on any state to do that.
They've extended ours also. I'm not overly concerned about getting it. We'll see.
As for the height thing, I did ask what to do on their website and the response was that I would have to get a duplicate license for $17, which I feel is insane. Regardless, I would have to wait until I got the actual license, not the temporary paper one. You're right though. I haven't been stopped often, mainly for a light out that I wasn't aware of and I've never been asked to get out of the car.
It's one of those things that once seen you can't unsee and I'm honest to an extreme. That usually works in my favor as, if you don't have to remember what you said and tell the truth in the first place, the story stays the same.
You may also be right about the 60 days. There was an article on people not getting pulled over for expired tabs, I think it was in Arizona, because law enforcement recognised they weren't able to get their tabs because the offices were shut down. It's been such a crazy year and it looks like it may not be over yet.
You probably don't look threatening, and there aren't any criminals who fit your description.
In Texas, while I had my California DL and plates, I got pulled over a few times for burnt out bulbs that I was unaware of.
They asked me some odd questions.
When I went to get my Texas DL, the person clicked on the last button to submit me, an an NDR hold came up.....
It turned out that there was/is a criminal in New Jersey whose license had been suspended. We have the same name, the same height, the same weight, and the same hair color, and were born in the same month and year.
The notable differences are that our eye colors are different, he was born on a different day in our same month, and that he has tattoos and I don't (the odd questions I got on those burnt out bulb pullovers....one was if I had any tattoos).
I had to send documentation to the State of New Jersey that proved that I'm me and not this criminal, and the State of New Jersey then released the NDR hold, and I was then able to get my Texas DL.
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. She told me to go to the DMV the next day and fill out a voluntary surrender of license form (I happened to be visiting California when I made the call), which I did, and the jury duty notices stopped coming.
