Check that date.

Darren Wright

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Springfield, Missouri
I was at the voting booth the other day and realized my drivers license had expired last July. Unfortunately my state has a 6 month grace period, so I got to go take the full drivers exam at the Highway Patrol testing center this morning. Passed the test just fine, but man, talk about being stressed out.

I will say that I learned a few things since I last did a full exam over 30+ years ago as cell phones weren't a thing nor were half the gadgets mentioned in the distracted driving section. I don't know if it's just a thing in my state or everywhere, but the hand positions used to be either 3 & 9 or 10 & 2, those are now 7 to 9 and 3 to 5, below the wheel rather than on top. Since I originally did my test in a 75 pinto without power steering it was necessary to have two hands on the wheel, but have gotten pretty lazy over the last 30 some years with power steering, so had to practice using two hands again before my test.

So be sure to check the expiration date on your license and save yourself a little stress.
 
I get a nice postcard from the government 3 months before mine expires reminding me to renew it, there is a time period of three months before and three months after your expiry date, which is, BTW your birthday.
Once every 5 years.
 
I got a notice in the mail in January telling me mine was up this month. There was an option to do it all online. Took 5 minutes. They used the same photo from previous DL...new one came in the mail. Cost an extra $2 ($12 total) to do it online...well worth it!
 
I've forgotten to renew mine in time a couple of times. I have found that you can't rent a car or open a bank account with an expired driver's licence. There is a fine if the police catch you. Licences are good for 5 years now, used to be 3, so I don't have to think about it until 2020, but I'm wondering if I'll look recognizably the same in 5 years. when I've gone to renew an expired licence, noone has even mentioned that it was not longer valid, they just take my money and my photograph and send me a new one.

Oh, they do send a notice, but I usually forget where I put it and just ignore it.
 
Just checked mine, expires in Sept this year... so guess will go to DMV about then...

Remember when I first got my license in Texas, they didn't have pictures on them, you would get a notice in the mail, mail the notice back and they sent you a new license... that's how a blind man renewed his license back then, then let his 10 year old drive while he worked the pedals.:eek::huh:
 
I got mine in TX during the days with no picture. I also got it when I was 14 - full unrestricted license since I had Driver's Ed. My younger brother (2.5 years younger) got caught in the shift and had to wait 4.5 years to get his when they changed the age to 16. He was not amused. Since I was in the military, I didn't have to renew my license until I came back to TX to live. Several times I went 2+ years past the expiration date without renewing. Right now we have a 6 year license. You can renew it once online after that it's back to DMV. Next time mines up, I have to stand in line again.
 
Very good points Darren. Despite the convenience of simply being able to renew ones license my personal view has been govs have failed all in this dept. A renewal is nothing more than a cash grab.
In reality if one thinks logically about it we should really be doing the full test for the very reasons you posted.
This way some of the people I live with might get to learn the fundamental rules of road when they fail.
But it would serve to keep us on our toes for things just like you experienced.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using Tapatalk
 
I got mine in TX during the days with no picture. I also got it when I was 14 - full unrestricted license since I had Driver's Ed. My younger brother (2.5 years younger) got caught in the shift and had to wait 4.5 years to get his when they changed the age to 16. He was not amused. Since I was in the military, I didn't have to renew my license until I came back to TX to live. Several times I went 2+ years past the expiration date without renewing. Right now we have a 6 year license. You can renew it once online after that it's back to DMV. Next time mines up, I have to stand in line again.

When I went in the navy, my license expired while serving and I didn't have to renew until I got out... I didn't get my license until I was 18 because my school didn't offer drivers ed as a regular course, the students had to pay a fee and the class was always full, plus by the time I was a Junior in highschool, I was living on my own and couldn't afford the class... my dad wasn't interested in teaching me to drive, so I learned from my land lady - a 70 year old lady - guess that's why I drive like a 70 year old? :D:D

When I moved back to CAlif in 1965 and got a Ca driver's license, they let me keep my Texas license, so I had dual licenses for about 2 years...

I liked AZ's attitude, when we moved there in 1994 and I got licensed, the license read "Lifetime" on the expiration date.. guess they have so many retiree's there they don't expect the license to last more than a few years... ;):D
 
I don't know if it's just a thing in my state or everywhere, but the hand positions used to be either 3 & 9 or 10 & 2, those are now 7 to 9 and 3 to 5, below the wheel rather than on top.

I generally have to drive with my hands at the lower positions to keep my hands from going to sleep... evidently I have a nerve pinched in my shoulder or neck and when I drive in the 10 position with my left hand, my hand goes numb after about 30 minutes... dropping to about 7 stops that. Rarely drive with my right hand, even though I'm right handed, I don't feel like I have good control without my left hand on the wheel.
 
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