Expired License?!

[klwdisney]

I just realized that my license expires on my birthday this year... which is 6 days before we leave for WDW!! How do I handle that? Will the new one come in time?

 

[RMulieri]

Depends on your state..In PA we get our renewal form about 6-8 weeks before.We mail it in and they send us a photo card.We take the card to a DMV photo center and get our picture and new license..

 

[buzzrelly]

I just realized that my license expires on my birthday this year... which is 6 days before we leave for WDW!! How do I handle that? Will the new one come in time?

Not sure what state you're in but here in CT we go to the DMV or AAA and we get a new one on the spot. You'll have to figure out how your state does it.

 

[DisneyLvr55]

Can't you just go to your locan DMV with the appropriate paperwork (proof of residency, etc) and get it that day? You can probably even do it before the actual day its due. Google it, and I'm sure you'll be OK!

 

[denneg]

I am pretty sure you can renew before the expiration date, so you can have the new one arrive by the time the old one expires - but I'm not 100% positive on that. When we went in October I renewed mine about a week before we left, and I had it in time - but I wasn't stressing because I had a military photo ID and a passport. However, when I renewed, they sent me an email that basically says that if you have that email printed plus your expired license, it makes your expired license valid until the new one arrives. So worst case scenario, you print that out and use the expired one on your trip!

 

[Happyjen27]

Go to the DMV today. They may not have a new license for you today, but they should give you a print out of a valid license that can be used in conjunction with your current picture license.

Try not to sweat it too much. I flew on an expired license this year, and nobody at TSA noticed it on the way down or back. I didn't even notice until I got home, I wouldn't have knowingly done it, but it happened and it was fine.

 

[Jacie]

You need to head to the DMV to renew ASAP. Most DMVs send out a renewal notice 1-2 months in advance. Even if you don't receive a physical new one, you will at least receive a paper stating you renewed. That, combined with your old license, is just as valid as a new license.
TSA might not care, but you may get that one who DOES care, and that would suck.

I worked for the DMV for many years, and have heard stories about TSA that go several ways with expired licenses. But, with the renewal slip, you'll be fine!

 

[1stvisit0909]

Can't you just go to your locan DMV with the appropriate paperwork (proof of residency, etc) and get it that day? You can probably even do it before the actual day its due. Google it, and I'm sure you'll be OK!

We can go up to 6 months early, and the print them right there.

 

[JoshuaShaw]

Protocol may differ from state to state, but you should be able to renew long before the date of expiration.

 

[dadddio]

Here, we just wander into the DMV with our old license and wander out sometime later with a new one.

 

[Mousemommy1]

I was in the same situation last year where my license would expire halfway through our trip. I just went into the DMV a couple of months ahead of time, and applied for a renewal instead of waiting for the paperwork to be mailed to me. I took care of it and got my new license in plenty of time before my trip.

 

[DisneyLvr55]

Just don't smile with your teeth - Thats illegal here in Jersey.

 

[Mousemommy1]

Just don't smile with your teeth - Thats illegal here in Jersey.

So odd! We are not allowed to wear glasses in our pictures here in NH!

 

[klwdisney]

I went online and filled out the application (3 months early). first it said i needed to come into the RMV. then it said my transaction was complete and i would receive my new one in the mail. i sent them an email asking why it said both. im sure i wont hear back. i'll wait a couple weeks and try calling them to ask if i'm all set. i'm not going to the RMV if i can avoid it! haha

the AAA option is not available here anymore. and they stopped mailing out reminders to cut costs.

 

[stargazertechie]

You should be able to renew early. I was able to renew almost a year early, but it ended up saving me money in the long run- I have a specialized driver's license issued in Michigan valid for land/sea border crossings, and I had lost my current license, so it cost less to renew than it did to replace it.


Definitely call your DMV/BMV/Secretary of State and see how early you can get it done. In some states they do NOT print a new one on site, and you would get a temporary license (paper) stapled to your existing license. That's not a problem for the air travel, but many restaurants (especially in florida) will not serve you (alcohol) on a paper license.

 

[denneg]

I went online and filled out the application (3 months early). first it said i needed to come into the RMV. then it said my transaction was complete and i would receive my new one in the mail. i sent them an email asking why it said both. im sure i wont hear back. i'll wait a couple weeks and try calling them to ask if i'm all set. i'm not going to the RMV if i can avoid it! haha

the AAA option is not available here anymore. and they stopped mailing out reminders to cut costs.

I'm in Mass too, and I had the exact same experience when I renewed online. It first told me it couldn't be processed, and then said it was complete. Did you get an email confirmation from them? I received two emails right away, one had the details about how to print it out and carry it with the expired license. Check your spam folder, or search for noreply@mass.gov to see if you have anything!

 

[klwdisney]

I also had 2 emails. The first said it was a Pre-Staging Transaction and the 2nd said the transaction payment was complete. Still not quite sure what that means. Did you do this recently? Was your transaction actually complete?

There was nothing in my spam folder. I'm assuming it went thru ok. Since I did it 3 months early I'm not going to panic. I'll wait and see if there's any paperwork in with the new license. I'll have plenty of time to take care of it if there's an issue.

 

[ttintagel]

So odd! We are not allowed to wear glasses in our pictures here in NH!

Weird! I didn't wear glasses when I got my first license in NY. When I renewed it after I started wearing glasses, the DMV said I couldn't use the old picture because if the license says you wear glasses, you have to have them on in the picture. Now, this was years ago, so it could be totally different now. Or maybe I just happened to run across a weirdo DMV worker that day.

 

[ttintagel]

Here, we just wander into the DMV with our old license and wander out sometime later with a new one.

Here, we get a temporary, no-picture one when we renew, and then the proper one comes in the mail. But it's usually within a week or two.

 

[klwdisney]

I'm in Mass too, and I had the exact same experience when I renewed online. It first told me it couldn't be processed, and then said it was complete. Did you get an email confirmation from them? I received two emails right away, one had the details about how to print it out and carry it with the expired license. Check your spam folder, or search for noreply@mass.gov to see if you have anything!

UPDATE: I sent a message thru the RMV site about the confusion and I just got a message back that my license has been renewed and there is no need for me to bring the application to the registry. :bacon:

So I have renewed my license, 3 months early, so it won't interfere with my vacation