Were you born? Can you prove it?
By savak03
@savak03 (6684)
United States
September 7, 2009 8:09pm CST
I have lived in my new state for over a year now and I really should have gotten a new drivers license by now. But in view of the procrastinator that I am I kept putting it off. When I decided, no, was forced to buy another car I knew I would have to get a Tennessee license. So I went down to the DMV to take care of that.
I took with me my drivers license from my home state, my certified copy of my marriage license, my social security card, my award letter for my social security benefits, my certified copy of my adoption order, a photocopy of my birth certificate, my renters agreement proving residence along with three different utility bills showing my current address in my name. Now this seems like a sufficient amount of paperwork proving that I am me, right? Do you think I got my drivers license? NO!
Because I didn't have a certified copy of my birth certificate I could not get a license. It seems that since the terrorist attack of 911 the government has taken more stringent steps to keep terrorists out of the country. I don't believe these laws that have been passed has slowed down anyone who wants to get into this country for the purpose of creating terror. The only thing the laws have done is make life more difficult for the citizens that are paying to keep this country operating.
Yes, this is a rant. I just had to get this off my chest. Feel free to agree or disagree.
4 people like this
17 responses
@danilliam (278)
• Philippines
8 Sep 09
yes.i can prove that i am alive and that i am born.my birth certificate and all documents in hospital and doctor is with my mother.she keep all of our official documents even to my brothers and sisters.=)
1 person likes this
@danilliam (278)
• Philippines
8 Sep 09
o.hope they give it back to you soon.goodluck.=)
1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
8 Sep 09
It's good that you have someone looking out for you. I would have had my birth certificate if the social security department hadn't required a certified copy in order to start my benefits. They were supposed to have sent it back but they didn't. I forgot all about it until I needed it.
2 people like this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
8 Sep 09
Nuts...what an ordeal and crapola to have to go through. I'm now beginning to wonder if my birth certificate is "valid" enough as it doesn't look like a certified one, so might have to get...and that's in California, while I live here in NY.
I remember the crap I went through with my mother. Shortly after she was diagnosed with cancer, I tried to get a joint account with both our names at my bank. I had Power of Attorney, and enough documentation to make a lawyer happy. Did I get the joint account? NOPE---they wanted my mother to personally come to the bank to prove she was a "real" person"--like duh?
I explained over and over again, my mother was too sick and weak to come to the bank, and thought my Power of Attorney was enough...NOPE. Maybe just as well...if I had gotten a joint account, no doubt the places she was in debt to, would have garnisheed not only her money but mine as well.
I explained over and over again, my mother was too sick and weak to come to the bank, and thought my Power of Attorney was enough...NOPE. Maybe just as well...if I had gotten a joint account, no doubt the places she was in debt to, would have garnisheed not only her money but mine as well.1 person likes this
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
8 Sep 09
You're probably right about that bank account. Her creditors would have surely tried to take your money to recoup their losses if her name had been attached to it. Probably they would have gotten away with it, too.
If you currently have a New York DL you will be okay as long as you don't let it lapse or move to another state.
1 person likes this
@pyewacket (43903)
• United States
8 Sep 09
That's just it..I don't have a DL as I don't drive nor have a car--the only "photo" ID I have is my Medicaid/Food Stamp benefits card
1 person likes this
@sedel1027 (17846)
• Cupertino, California
8 Sep 09
That's a bit much if you ask me. I had a similar issue just changing my address & last name - not even from one state to another, just one town over! They wanted 2 picture forms of ID and didn't like me using my military ID as one of the forms. That id has all of the vital information for me and my husband on it. I don't get it.
1 person likes this
@gitfiddleplayer (10362)
• United States
9 Sep 09
I agree with you to a point, it has gotten haywire for those who abide the law to have to jump through hoops to get anything legal done right. Its the ones who follow the law that get pushed around the most. It almost makes you envious of those who don't care about the law and break it without any provocation, well, until you get thrown in jail and deported. I can prove it, but I've never needed to.
@rosdimy (3926)
• Malaysia
8 Sep 09
I disagree with what you went through. Sounds like paranoia has them in its grip. With the right resources experts can forge any document with relative ease, even certifying a copy of any document.
Using the Internet they could have easily check the details of your current driving licence from your home state. The documents that you have should be more than enough. In my country producing an identity card or a driving licence is usually sufficient.
Maybe certain officials or officers are over zealous, and cannot differentiate between chaff and wheat.
1 person likes this
@Jennlk84 (4206)
• United States
8 Sep 09
I have to tell you - I feel your pain. My husband and I recently moved to New York and this past weekend we were researching how to get our new licesnse. It's amazing all the documents they require. I mean seriously - if I have credit cards, birth certificate, social security card, etc. why do I need SO many other documents to prove who I am??? I just think it's unreal what they expect of you just to get a driver's license.
1 person likes this
@Poison_Girl (4150)
• United States
8 Sep 09
Has a photocopy of a birth certificate ever worked? If I were running a business and need a birth certificate for whatever reason, I wouldn't accept a photocopy. They can so easily be altered and such. I had what I thought was a legitimate copy of my birth certificate with me to try to get a passport. Apparently, because it wasn't a CERTAIN KIND and was apparently a copy (NOT a photocopy), it couldn't be accepted. Well, as irritating and frustrating as it was, I understood and ended up getting the correct form. Boy, was it stressful! I was on a little bit of time restraint, but it all worked out. *PHEW*
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
9 Sep 09
No a photo copy is not sufficient and I knew that. The point is though that I shouldn't have needed a birth certificate at all because I already had a license and I also had several other certified copies of things that proved when and where I was born.
@James72 (26790)
• Australia
8 Sep 09
I know only too well the frustrations when it comes to providing acceptable forms of identification because I've been to hell and back more times than I care to remember with visa applications etc in a number of foreign countries now. I can appreciate the need to be very specific these days because it can be so easy to forge documents for one and there's the terrorism angle as well which you've mentioned already; but sometimes the requests really do border on ridiculous! One particular example I can share is when I lived in India and I was securing a co-visa for my Wife. Even though I'd provided marriage certificates (originals AND certified copies) and a heap of other documents, they STILL ended up sending a Police Officer to our apartment so he could SEE if we were actually living as Husband and Wife or not??? He then had to write up a report which I then had to resubmit again to support everything else. And trust me, getting things like this done when you're a foreigner in India ain't easy and ain't quick! 
All in all though, I guess it's in our best interests for authorities to be so vigilant.
All in all though, I guess it's in our best interests for authorities to be so vigilant. 
@dreamr802 (985)
• United States
8 Sep 09
I understand what you are going through...I had to switch my license to a Florida license...I went there with my old license and passport...you think that would've been enough, but I also needed something with my social security number on it...even though on the state website it said bring in at least one document from each column...but whatever...at least I had a school receipt in my car from college tuition...so that worked but it is so damn hard to get a drivers license.
@dreamr802 (985)
• United States
9 Sep 09
I totally agree but then again I can understand that they are scared especially with the whole thing with terrorists...and I know FL is a huge hotspot for terrorists and sleeper cells...But yeah, they need to make it a little easier for the normal citizen.
@Hatley (163781)
• Garden Grove, California
8 Sep 09
savako3 third time may be a charm.DMV how i hate that place,
the long lines, the paperwork, the rude clerks, oh yes you
nust have a certified birth certificate or else. wellat least'its
'easy to get one I agree these new laws just make it harder'for us citizens to get anything done with out a lot of problem. The
DMV is the worst of the lot too.You will find its a lot easier to
get a certified birth certificate than to go through the DMV lines.
@cupkitties (7421)
• United States
8 Sep 09
That happened to me when I went to get my name on my social security card changed. I had to go there three times because each time they told me I needed this and that kind of paper and then the second time around they told me that my birth certificate was not acceptable proof and I had to call my old high school and get some papers from them.
Same thing with my kids because we have to every year go to the school board and show proof that they live where they live and this last time they decided something wasn't acceptable and we had to drive all over gods no where to get everything they wanted.
Makes me wonder if they get paid extra to cause confusion.
@savak03 (6684)
• United States
9 Sep 09
Ah, yes. And they are the reason I don't have my certified copy of my birth certificate. When I applied for my disability they insisted that I send them my certified copy. They assured me that they would send it back once they had seen it. Of course with all the drama that it took to get approved for my benefits I completely forgot that I had sent it to them and they never returned it like they promised. It has been five years now and I am sure that no one would know where it had been filed. It will probably be less aggravating to just get another one from the bureau of vital statistics.
@EnglishTeaDuck (862)
• United States
8 Sep 09
Oh my, what a pain! I had to go through a mind boggling pile of bits of paper to get my visa to marry my American husband and live here (from England) but for a drivers license? Ouch!
Clearly you don't officially exist without it...lol....I remember when I did the visa I didn't have a certified copy of my birth certificate - I too am adopted and my adoption stuff (which I have the originals of) sufficed for everything else, as that is me, with my adopted name - but I had to send for all the blurb too.
But like I said, understandable for a visa to live in the country, but a bit excessive all that to get in your car...lol....
Go on, have a rant, let it out, we're here to listen!
@krishnanmca (35)
• India
8 Sep 09
ya. agree your points. i know how much i feel for this. but other side the country wants to protect people from terror attack. for me, solution for this to setup the team in the country to investigate the person is real original nor terror. this would help both benefit for us people and country from terror..
thanks
@Grandmaof2 (7579)
• Canada
8 Sep 09
Oh do I ever know your frustration!!! 
You may have read where my husband and I separated and I moved from one province to another. I went through hell and I'm still not done. I wanted to change my drivers licence of course but I had to have different vehicle insurance, couldn't get the vehicle insuranc without the licence and on and on it went. To apply for health care well that was another story. Good grief. Good luck my friend.
You may have read where my husband and I separated and I moved from one province to another. I went through hell and I'm still not done. I wanted to change my drivers licence of course but I had to have different vehicle insurance, couldn't get the vehicle insuranc without the licence and on and on it went. To apply for health care well that was another story. Good grief. Good luck my friend. 
@jambi462 (4576)
• United States
8 Sep 09
No I can't actually. All I have to apparently prove that I was born is a piece of paper with a bunch of letters and numbers that is called a birth certificate. I didn't write it and I didn't really know what was going on at that time because I was supposedly a small baby that was just born. But of course who really knows?
