Thursday, Aug. 30, 2012

AUGUSTA, Ga. -- Workers at the Department of Driver Services in Richmond County say they were short-staffed before this law went into place, and now they're really feeling the stress from the new requirements.

It's been two months since Georgia enacted strict new requirements to renew your license or ID. Officials say the wait times have gotten a little better, but frustrations are still high.

Johnny Sullivan is also feeling some of that stress. He stopped in to the DDS office to renew his license.

"The hardest part about the process is just getting all the documents together before you come down," he said.

Jack Young lost his license and didn't realize the new requirements were already in place.

"Definitely can't just walk in and out anymore. There's rules and stipulations," he said.

It now takes a lot more than just bringing in your old ID Or filling out a form online to get a new one.

"You got to have yourself organized, and it's something you've just got to have now," Young said.

The new law requires you to bring in one document to prove your primary identity, a document to prove your Social Security number, two documents to prove your address, and if your name has changed, you're going to need the documents to prove that, too.

"The birth certificate was the hardest one," Sullivan said.

DDS officials say a lot of people are forgetting to bring in the name change document.

You can find out which documents they accept by clicking here.

The trick to getting in and out quickly is making sure you have all of your documents ready when you go.

"Once you get the documents, you make the time easier and the process faster," Sullivan said.

But a lot of people think the new requirements are overkill.

Elisia McDonald stopped in to renew her license and says gathering those documents was no easy task. She says the rules are a little too much.

"They're ridiculous. It was a lot," she said.

But others say the extra hassle is worth it if it means their identity is a little safer.

Shannon Campbell says, "I think it's necessary because there's a lot of ID theft going on, so to make sure the right person gets the right ID card, it's just better to bring in all the information."

But, the best thing you can probably bring with you to renew your license is a whole lot of patience.

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