Originally Posted by
notquiteaff
So I have a DMV appointment coming up in a few days to apply for a RealID license. I made that appointment a while ago, prior to the most recent extension.
In preparation for the appointment (making sure I have all the documents) I read in the state FAQ that the Real ID replacement will retain the expiration date of the regular drivers license it replaces. Really? In that case it would make no sense to apply, just to have to apply again in a couple of years. Anyone know if this is accurate?
California is like this.
I did this when I already had a valid California DL and when CA started first offering Real IDs. The representative told me that I would have to pay the fee again when the original expiration date passed. I shrugged and went through the process to get my Real ID. Not that it matters too much because I stopped using my DL as a form of ID to get through security and started using other forms of acceptable ID (which I frequently use anyway) that doesn't have my address on it.
I renewed my Real ID last year via mail and didn't send in payment because renewal notice the CA DMV sent had no information on how much I needed to pay, I found out later it was $38 after I decided to pay online since I didn't hear back from them. I eventually got hand written note and renewal form returned to me stating that I needed to pay $38 after I had already paid online.
I only got Real ID because I got worried about heading toward two tier society, one with Real ID and the other without and would rather not find out if it turned out to be true. There was this big push before the pandemic to get Real ID and it sounded like a split was going to develop out of this so I decided to go for it and not worry about it later.
I'll think to see if I should renew my CA DL again the next time I renew...