Driver's license after GC valid for just one year?

D

deena_etc

Registered Users (C)
I got my green card earlier this month (valid for 10 years) and applied for a Driver's License today and was told that there is a new rule since the beginning of this month whereby Permanent Residents get a driver's license for just one year. This was at a Georgia DMV. So my DL is valid just for one year. Anyone with a GC who applied for a DL recently got it for just one year?
 
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The clerk is confusing your GC with the Work Permit. I suggest you to call the DMV customer service and let them know what happened. Good Luck
 
My mother went to renew last year and she was told that she'll have to renew yearly until she renews her GC. But she was told that because she has the old edition, GC with no expiration date. She also resides in GA.

When I question the person if this applies to all GC holders, his response was no, only to the GC holders with the old edition.
 
I'm sure the person who issued my card knew I had a green card cause we spoke about it. When I called the DMV I was told that they were not able to confirm my PR status with the Department of Homeland Security system and that is why my DL was issued for just one year.
 
Deena,
Just out of sheer curiosity, does your SSN card have a legend? In IL they only check your SSN. If it is legend free, you get a 5 year DL.
 
Triple Citizen said:
Deena,
Just out of sheer curiosity, does your SSN card have a legend? In IL they only check your SSN. If it is legend free, you get a 5 year DL.
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Yes it does have a legend, but the clerk at the DMV didn't look at my SSN card so I don't think that is why I got a one year DL.
 
Same situation

I have had my green card for over three years now. But yesterday they issued me a one year driver's license. The clerk only looked at my green card and not at my social security card, as 4 years ago when I was issued a 4 years driver license. Then I asked the person at the information desk about it and he said that only US citizens are issued driver's licenses for more than 1 year starting earlier this month. Then he mumbled something about Immigration not making up its mind about the issue, and said that in case the policy changes they will call me at home to extend the validity of my driver license for free (!?)
I find this issue extremely weird as before I was a permanent resident they issued me a driver license for 4 years, and now that I am a pr they only do a one year:mad: (of course it still costs 20 box) This is a Georgia DMV as well.
 
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There really is NO rhyme or reason.

When i moved back to CA from another state, DMV just gave me a 5 year new CA license (based on the fact that I once had a CA license - which i had expired when I moved to the different state). My first CA license was only as long as my H1B as valid (2.5 years)...(My other state license was 8 years duration and they didnt ask for any immigration docs because i had presented them a non-expired CA license)

CA DMV didnt even ask me for immigration docs the second time

Of course for some reason my SSN never had a legend...dunno if i made a mistake while applying for it or SSA messed up...I never changed it after getting my Green Card...
 
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aaifor said:
There really is NO rhyme or reason.

When i moved back to CA from another state, DMV just gave me a 5 year new CA license...
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Yeah, the situation in CA seems pretty reasonable. My wife and I arrived in CA in 1993; I was on an O-1 visa, my wife on and off an O-2 and H1. We got our licenses in 1994 (they WERE checking immigration status as far back as then). The licenses had a five year validity. We renewed them by mail every five years until last year, when, like everyone else, you need to go in and have a new photo taken. The new licenses have 5 year validity. We have had our green cards since 2004, but the DMV has never asked for any additional information during any of the renewals - they just wanted to see the original drivers license. They don't even know if we are PRs or on a visa unless they took it upon themselves to interrogate the DHS system.
 
We went to one of DMV centers yesterday to renew my Wife's drivers license. They issued for only 1 year. Customer service represent told that even for GC Holders they issue for only 1 year,maybe they might change the rule in future.

This is so weird she had her license last time for 4 years without problem and now they issued for 1 year.

This is in Atlanta Georgia.
 
Well I guess it's some new rule implemented this year. Any Permanent Resident from other states besides GA and VA get a DL issued this year, valid for just one year?
 
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Triple Citizen said:
The inconsistency makes sense since issuance of DLs is a state matter, not a federal one.
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Looking at the Georgia DMV site, they indicate that a driver's license will be issued for five years, or until the expiration of the immigration document presented. If you have a Green Card with an expiration date (which you should!) then you should get a 5 year license.
 
TheRealCanadian said:
Looking at the Georgia DMV site, they indicate that a driver's license will be issued for five years, or until the expiration of the immigration document presented. If you have a Green Card with an expiration date (which you should!) then you should get a 5 year license.
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I saw that as well. If only one person posted about this then i would be inclined to believe that a clerk made a mistake. But we now have a few cases reported here. Perhaps there was a policy chance and they have not updated their site.
 
You are right about the DMV employees. However, I doubt that quoting anything helps. I waited in a few lines for hours just to hear their nonsense. I only hope they’ll wake up by next year when I’ll renew my license again. It is not fair that we pay the same amount for one year as it is charged for 5 years (I am not complaining about the amount, but about the fairness). I also think that if you are right, they are basically breaking the law.
 
Select_Service said:
You are right about the DMV employees. However, I doubt that quoting anything helps. I waited in a few lines for hours just to hear their nonsense. I only hope they’ll wake up by next year when I’ll renew my license again. It is not fair that we pay the same amount for one year as it is charged for 5 years (I am not complaining about the amount, but about the fairness). I also think that if you are right, they are basically breaking the law.
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If I were you I would not roll over. At the very least I would contact DMV headquarters in Atlanta to find out about the real story.
 
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