Red Alert -- Another Stab at the DMV!

Dani and I made our third trip to the DMV today. I did actually find the small card issued by the state of New Jersey stating that she passed Driver's Ed. So we took our thick folder of documents up there for another attempt to get a Texas Graduated Driver's License (what we used to call a learner's permit) for her. Here's a list of what I had to bring (no kidding): birth certificate, social security card, NJ GDL permit, NJ commercial driving school certificate, verification of enrollment from Lake Travis High, state of NJ Driver's Ed card, and North Hunterdon High's driver's ed certificate. Whew.

Here she is at the window. Will we get it this time? Or will they tell us again that we are missing a piece of paper? Let's recap what happened on visit one in East Austin. After consulting 3 different supervisors, they tell us that she needs to both repeat her commercial driving school (because Texas requires 7 hours, not 6 as in NJ) and she needs a "verification of enrollment" from Lake Travis High. The nice fellow also tells us that we "should have stayed in New Jersey" if she wanted her license. So I grit my teeth and contact the school & they say they won't issue the form until the first day of class. When Dani gets that on day 1 (two months later, incidentally), we decide to drive all the way to Marble Falls to a DMV office a little friendlier than East Austin. The woman there tells us that we need the state of NJ driver's ed certificate, and makes up some other stuff about needing even MORE hours in a commercial course. I decide to ignore the bit about the course & just find the darn card. And I found it.

So we decide to try the Northwest Austin DMV office this time. It's open late on Wednesdays, and that's when we go. It's a long line of people as we arrive at 4:30. When we get up to the counter (this is just to get the paperwork to start filling out), the woman looks at us blankly and says, "What's a GDL?" I'm sorry, I couldn't resist elbowing Dani. Here we go again! She has to go ask a co-worker what to do, and makes a show of looking at each of our papers although it's obvious she is clueless and isn't really making any kind of judgement. She hands us two forms to fill out. Dani and I sit down and fill them out.

They call our number and we go up to a window and hand over everything. Again, for the sixth time, I explain what each item is, although I sense right away that the young woman behind the counter knows what to do and is familiar with the process. Her name is Rebecca & you'll see why I bothered to ask her name in a bit. She looks at things carefully and looks up some information on her computer, asks us a few questions about dates on the forms. A woman with a clipboard behind her chimes in at this point that if all the documents are correct, Dani will get a Texas GDL and repeat her six months training. Dani starts to protest and the woman says, "Oh, but this is a Texas GDL, not New Jersey." I have to shush Dani as her voice escalates. Good god, if I hear something like that one more time, I will get violent. This doesn't ruffle Rebecca, however, as she calmly excuses herself to confer with her supervisor. When she returns, she says...you know what it is, right?...we need another document. The certificate from the NJ driving school just isn't official-looking enough. So I start begging. Really. With tears in my voice, I beg her to just give us a permit; this is our third trip, we have done everything they've said, we just need a permit, we don't even care that we have to repeat the six months. The sad thing is, I wasn't acting. I meant every word.

Rebecca and I look at the documents again and I point out that the state of NJ permit has the driving school data written on it. Obviously, the certificate was good enough for them. She agrees, and goes back to the supervisor. We wait anxiously.

When she returns, she is smiling. She tells Dani, "You're going to get your license. You've had a permit for over six months, all you need is a driving test." That's right, not just a permit, but a real, drive-by-herself license. We look at each other and almost cry. After a few more minutes, we pay the fee, take the picture and we're out the door. She has 90 days to go back for the driving test. Before we leave, I get Rebecca's name. You better believe I'm writing a letter to her boss about what a great thing she did for us. Here's Dani with her new temporary license. I'm still a little in shock. Dani's already looking at cars on Craig's List. Boy, life's going to change! Thank you, Rebecca.