Keystone MVD

[cactuswatcher]

The Motor Vehicle Division in Arizona seems to have a policy of 'Don't bother us, we won't bother you.'

When I moved to Arizona I was surprised that the expiration date on my brand new driver's license, was 9 years in the future on my birthday. After having to renew every 3 years in my old state it was a bit of a surprise. If you are young, your license here lasts for decades although I think you have to have your picture updated every dozen years. Well, nine years shockingly have past, and today a month and a half before my license expires I got a letter from the MDV saying my license is now good for another five years (due to a change in the law). Except I can't exactly drive to another state, say three years from now, with a drivers license that says it expired this year. So the MVD, rather than having me come in and pay whatever for a new license, will send me a 'duplicate' license with the new correct expiration for a fee. The fee is certainly less this way, I don't have to go to the MVD office, and they'll have to deal with one less human being face to face (I guess Plin wore them out for this year ;o) ). I'm not sure but I think I have to get a new picture taken 3 years from now so I'm back to renewing every two or three years for awhile. But this should be cheaper than I'm used to. The bad news? How many people are driving around in this state with near-sighted eyes that haven't been checked in a decade or more?

ETA I forgot to mention that Arizona hasn't signed on to the new standard drivers license the Bush Administration wants every state to have, so some day I may end up with a strange 'renewal' when that gets sorted out as well.

Comments

[midnightsjane.livejournal.com]

Wow!....
They certainly put a lot of trust in the drivers of the state!
Ours are good for five years. Then we get to stand in front of their cheap camera and get a really bad photo taken to show everyone who wants to see some ID.
LOL

[masqthephlsphr.livejournal.com]

Trust in drivers? I think not. Although my license expires on my birthday in 2028 or some such nonsense, they have cameras at every intersection in my town photographing speeders and other law-breakers. Big Brother don't need to give us tests every couple years, he's watching All The Time.

[cactuswatcher.livejournal.com]

Yeah, but those cameras are owned/rented by the towns not the state, just so they don't have to have a policeman sitting at every intersection. And the word is that most towns only have one or two of their cameras actually working on any particular day, because they have to pay somebody to look at the photos. Big Brother is mostly snoozing. ;o)