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New rules for Florida drivers |
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Written by Sonia Morgan
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Sunday, 14 September 2008 |
A new set of driver’s license rules slated to take effect next month will ultimately make it more difficult for drivers here to get a new license or renew the old one.
The Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (DHSMV) has laid down the law on documentation requirements for proof of identity, which the Director of the Division of Driver Licenses Sandra Lambert is calling a way to increase security. She said, “Upcoming changes are a result of recent statutory requirements and department efforts to increase security.”
Now, all will be required to have a valid Social Security number and have some tangible proof, for example, social security card or any of the following documents showing your social security number: tax return, W-2 form, property tax statement, paycheck, DD-214, school record). The customer can no longer provide the social security number verbally.
All passports, permanent resident cards and employment authorization cards presented as proof of identification or legal presence must be valid. Expired documents will not be accepted.
The department will no longer accept driver licenses or identification cards issued by other states as primary identification. Lambert added that “We anticipate the benefits of enhanced identity protection will far outweigh the inconvenience of providing additional proof of identification.”
A more lenient offer in the new rules is that a person will be allowed to elect the (driving) school option to avoid points five times in a 10-year period instead of five times in a lifetime.
However, Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) holders who receive a DUI conviction on or after October 1, 2008, even while driving a personal vehicle, will be disqualified from operating a commercial motor vehicle for 1 year for the first offense, and permanently disqualified for the second offense. These penalties are based on convictions dates and not offense dates.
As it relates to the Class of licenses for U.S. citizens and immigrants with permanent legal status:
- Florida Class E driver licenses will be valid for 8 years except for customers 80 and older.
- Class A, B, or C driver licenses will be valid for 8 years except for customers 80 and older. Licenses with a hazardous materials endorsement will only be valid for 4 years.
- All licenses for customers 80 and older will be valid for 6 years only.
- ID cards for children 5 through 14 years of age will be valid for 4 years. ID cards for customers 15 and older will be valid for 8 years
The most notable change is the one which disallows senior citizens 80 and over from holding 8-year licenses, and requires them to do an eye exam with renewal.
According to Arnold Cooperman, legal editor of the Division of Statutory Revision, “The major change this year is that you cannot have your licenses reissued unless you have had a vision test.”
However, some residents believe that the six years now allotted to them is still too much. “It’s good that they have reduced it [from eight years to six] but it’s still a bad idea, for medical reasons. At 80, the mental capacity begins to deteriorate. Many of them suffer from Alzheimer’s, and dementia sets in,” said Jennifer Lee, who works in the medical field.
Her sentiments are echoed by people on the blogosphere who believe that drivers over 80 should be subjected to a biannual driving test, to ensure that they are fit to be on the road.
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