Obtaining a drivers license in Utah

Effective Jan 1, 2010 every citizen in Utah when renewing their drivers license or obtaining their first one, must now prove their citizenship, social security and domicile. The Utah Legislature passed this law last year without funding for additional personnel to process the multitudes now having to appear at the DMV offices, rather than renew by mail or online. I was one of the unfortunate ones on January 12th that waited hours just to get up to the DMV's doors only to find out that the tax forms I brought to verify my social security number were not acceptable. You have to have the social security card issued by SSA, but mine had gone through the washer some 45 years ago, or a W-2 or 1099, but being self employed I have neither. I did have my passport, my disabled veterans ID with my social security number on it and my 1040 tax return also with my SSN on it, and two statements from utility companies to prove my address. But my veterans ID and 1040 return was not acceptable as verification of my SSN, so I had to spend several more hours at the Social Security office at the opposite side of town to make application for a replacement card. Now waiting for it to come in the mail so I can stand in line and do it all over again, with success I hope. Unfortunately I will have to take the written test, because it is now past my birth date.

One thing that burns me, is the office I went to had 17 service window, but only 4 open. And then when a person was ready for their 10 minute break, they would close that window without opening another. Also in Utah to save the state money, all state offices are closed on Fridays, so that backs things up even more. The governor asked the DMV to open on Fridays, but with no new hires, how can they do that. Plus the state is a billion dollars in the red, so there is no money to hire people and train them in time to alleviate the problem.

All of this is in preparation of a national ID card the Bush administration was wanting under the patriots act. But most states have rejected the idea and civil libertarians have made it clear they will fight it in court to stop a national ID register. It hasn't happened since passing the Patriots Act, so why cause such a problem now? I actually know, they want to identify the illegal aliens they issued drivers licenses to several years ago. They can get a driving privilege card, same as a drivers license, but its not to be used as an official ID for travel.

Here I am 60 years after my birth at Holy Cross Hospital in SLC and I have to prove I'm an American citizen, even though I'm a disabled veteran as well. And according to the current law, I have to do this every 5 years now on. They couldn't just mark my file in the computer as verified citizen and let me renew by mail or online after this, NO, I have to do the same shit again in five years. The anti-immigration fanatics are out of control. They have to fuck everything up for their own peace of mind.