So yeah, the New Hampshire DMV sucks. We all know this, right? Well, not me. I thought I knew this, but in reality I had NO IDEA.
Let me start my story on Thursday, the 6th of August, just 4 days ago. Since I have moved back to New Hampshire full-time, I needed to update my license and get registered in New Hampshire. Thinking I only needed my old license and maybe a birth certificate to prove I am who I say I am, I thought I was prepared.
I went in and filled out the stupid form and waited in line. And waited, and waited, and waited. Finally I get in and tell the two women (one of who was a police officer) that I was here to get a new license from out of state. They then proceeded to ask for 3 things – my old license (check), a 2nd form of identification (like a birth certificate, check), and a proof of residency (not check).
So, upset at myself that I missed this instruction prior to waiting in line, I went out to my truck to frantically search for some form of proof of residency.
The woman I spoke to gave me a sheet of paper and told me to get something “on the list.” This “list” has since become the bain of my existence.
Some examples of items on this list:
- car registration
- passport with my name and a NH address on it
- employment contract
There were others, but it’s the last one in my short list that was important to me.
After running to my truck, I looked frantically for anything that would pin the name “James Van Veen” to my address in New Hampshire.
Since I was planning on heading to work right after, I had my backpack that I bring into the office with me. In it, I happened to have the offer letter that was sent to me when I got hired a couple of months ago. It was within the 60 days they required, so I thought all was good. I had my “employment contract.”
I then ran back in and had to wait in line again, and waited, and waited, and waited. Finally after another half hour, I went in and talked to the same woman again and showed her my birth certificate and I gave her my offer letter. Within 2 milliseconds she told me “I can’t take this” like I had handed her a bag of frogs or something. She didn’t even want to look at it.
At this point I was confused and a little upset at her attitude, but whatever. I asked her the simple question, “Why not?” Her response: “Why not?” in a manner as if it was the stupidest question she had ever heard, “because it’s not on the list.”
Considering I felt like I knew more about what was going on then she did, I politely pointed out that in fact, “employment contract is on the list.” She then looked at the list that she felt she had memorized and came to the stunning realization that she forgot that one.
At this point she started to analyze the document and confirmed that the address listed on the form matched my name, and the address I was attempting to register for. She looked down and states plainly, “this isn’t an employment contract.” I asked her, “why not?” She had some response about signatures not being on the thing or whatever, but I was too pissed, either at that moment, or later to remember why she disqualified it.
So I left that day without a license not knowing I had just let go of my chance too easily.
The next day, armed with the knowledge from the day prior, since it was the day before my birthday, and since my mom had the day off, she decided to come with me. On the drive I was instructed to suck up to them, not to get upset about the absurdity of the day before, and there would be no problem.
Since one of the items on “the list” was to have a parent confirm I was living at that residence (which had no qualifiers by the way), and with all the other items I had (like lots of mail addressed to me, student loans and the like) I thought I was going to get it easy.
Once I get in, however, things went downhill fast. This day provided me with a new woman to talk to. One I hadn’t seen the day before. As soon as I show her my letters they tell me they are no good, not on the list.
Instantly mom arrives, and she plays the “parent” card. They play the card up their sleeves, saying since I am over 18 the parent part doesn’t matter. Yes, I know, they totally made that part up on their own on the fly.
So within 30 seconds they told me to get out and get something better. At this point they said I need to get my truck registered and that would work.
Of course getting my truck registered requires no proof of residency, just a title to the vehicle and money. So with that I can get a license, all the while never proving I lived in NH nearly as well as I had when I went to the DMV first.
I know this kind of story is not unique, and I can only imagine how much worse people have been treated, but I find it infuriating that the New Hampshire DMV basically won’t take mail addressed to me, opened or unopened, for purposes of establishing residency. By denying my letters and employment offer sheets they are accusing me of mail fraud, and this should be dealt with one way or another. Either I live there, or I am committing fraud by both pretending to be this “other” person, and by stealing his/her mail.
These kinds of actions are reprehensible and are not tolerable from a government agency.
I know the New Hampshire DMV acted within their rights, but that doesn’t make them any less stupid. I am embarrassed on behalf of all New Hampshire residents that these police officers are still on the job. They may be the bravest people I have ever met, I have no idea, but nonetheless they “acted stupidly” (to quote Mr. Obama) by refusing to issue me a New Hampshire license.
It’s a crummy world at the moment. People are suffering. Jobs are as scarce as they have been in 70 years, and burning gas going to and from a DMV 40 minutes away from you is not helping matters. People are coming home to their parents for shelter, and rental agreements, utility bills and the like are not being put in their children’s name.
If the DMV had any brain cells they would know this. But alas, I shall get my truck registered, and get my license another day.
I hope…
