Florida Driver License

If you want a Florida driver license, be prepared to give your Social Security card, your birth certificate, your marriage license, two pieces of mail (or proof of residence), a W2, and your right arm.

I originally tried to get a Florida license in February when my mom visited.  My mom watched Lily for me, and I used my mom's car to drive over there.

I waited in a short-ish line for 15-20 minutes before arriving at the check-in counter.  The lady looked over the items I had brought, and then gave me a number for the long line.

Two hours later, my number was called.  I went to the back and the lady told me I HAD THE WRONG PAPERS.  I had actually brought my marriage certificate instead of my marriage license.

Side note: I told Lance the night before that he had given me the marriage certificate and that I needed the license.  He got upset with me and told me that this is all we had.

So, I started crying, right there at that lady's desk.  I was so overwhelmed. I'd been wanting to come get my license for weeks but couldn't arrange it with our one car and opposite work schedules.  I could tell she felt so bad for me.  She gave me an "appointment slip" so that next time I came I didn't have to wait in as long of a line.

I went home angry, and feeling hopeless.

I immediately called the Utah County Health and Justice building and ordered a marriage license.

It arrived a few days later, but I still had to figure out a way to get back down to the DMV.

A few days before I was going to try to get back to the DMV, Lance found our marriage license.  He felt horrible. I just said, "Oh well, what's done is done. And now we can put one in a frame to display?"


I finally made it back down to the DMV a week before my license expired.  It was a Monday.  I tried to go to bed early Sunday night, because I don't work Sunday nights.  However, when your body is on a certain schedule, that's not really the easiest thing to do.

Monday morning I got up at 6:15am, got Lily up, drove Lance to work so he could be there by 7am.  Then I came home (7:30am), and let Lily rest while I showered and got ready.  We left our house again at 9am.  I drove over to the DMV, and waited in the "short" line to get to the receptionist.  I handed her the appointment slip from 2 months prior, and all of my documents.  I told her, "I was here a couple of months ago, but I had my marriage certificate instead of my marriage license."  She looked over my documents, and kept looking and looking at the marriage license.

I started to panic.

Receptionist: "Do you have the marriage certificate?"

Me: "Um, no, they told me it was useless, so now I have the marriage license."

Receptionist: "This doesn't say where it was filed............"

Me: "...."

Receptionist: "Let me check on this before making you wait longer."

Me: "Ok, thank you! I was here for two hours last time!"

Someone else: "It has this number *points* and the state seal, so it's correct"

Agh, thank goodness!

The receptionist handed me my number for the "long" line.  I noticed it wasn't going to be that long of a wait.

It was 20 minutes.  Not bad compared to two hours.

I went back, handed a different lady all of my documents.  Answered some questions.  Registered to vote as "no party" which, in my line of work is basically the same thing as telling them you're Independent. I took the quick eye test. Paid my dues. Posed for a picture.

All the while Lily was walking around doing whatever she wanted.  They were nice about it.

At the Kissimmee DMV they print your license while you're there.  So that's cool. I didn't have to wait for it in the mail.