Thursday, June 7, 2012

Florida ID and Drivers License Information

When your current Florida drivers license expires and you have not used the one-time online "convenience" renewal option, you can renew by going online to www.GoRenew.com. It is important to type this address directly into your address bar, because doing a yahoo or google search on "gorenew" will result in a list of scam websites. These websites will charge you money and then redirect you to the real official government website. The Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles does not require a surcharge for purchasing a drivers license online.

If you have already used the one-time convenience renewal, then you will have to go to one of the drivers license offices to renew your license. Since the passing of the Real ID Act of 2005, everyone who renews their driver's license or wants to get a government issued ID card must prove who they are.You will need to bring several documents to prove who you are. To find out what documents you need, Florida residents can go to http://www.gathergoget.com/ .Obtaining the documents can be a very involved procedure- since you may need to get a birth certificate or a marriage certificate from another state. Therefore, it is best to start gathering your documents a few months before your renewal date.

Older adults who are Florida residents will need a valid Florida identification card - even if they do not drive. These identification cards are necessary for air travel, they must be shown at the doctor's office, and may be needed to pick up some prescriptions. Some older adults may have problems obtaining the necessary documents and may need legal help. Ellen Cheek has written a great article about this in the March/April 2012 Elder update (p.6). You can read this article here.

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