Ask Me Help Desk - Can I cancel my drivers license?

I had a drivers license, and switched it to a state I moved to. There's some glitch that no one can figure out, and I have 2 valid licenses somehow. I want to cancel the one from the state I no longer live in, but I have no paperwork that I turned it in, all I have is the fact that I have a license from my new state. Will the old state just cancel it? What do I do? This isn't MY fault, it's their fault, it's some glitch or misplaced or improperly done paperwork. I tried to get proof of turning the old license in and there is none to be found. So, can I just call them and tell them to cancel the license for good?

Without knowing the States it's impossible to do anything but guess.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmilingInside

I tried to get proof of turning the old license in and there is none to be found.

Please clarify - when you got your new license did you physically turn in the old license? In other words - you no longer have the old license in your personal possession, right? Assuming this is true - it's possible that the old state hasn't found out that you turned that old license in, and so don't be surprised if they are are sending you renewal notices and such. If so, don't worry about it. Eventually they will mark your old license as expired in their database.

And I will add that some States are reciprocal - if you get a license "here" it is cancelled "there." It's all computerized.

What I'm wondering is why OP should care? So he/she has two licenses. Why is that a bad thing?

In many states, it is illegal to have a license in more than one state. ( Georgia is that) so they could be ticketed for it if, they were stopped and had their ID ran.

But normally the state where you get a new license will notify and cancell your old one, But you will need to notify the DMV that you have a new one, and inform them to cancel your old one.

So, I contacted the state and asked them to cancel the license, I have to wait on them to get back to me. But say they don't cancel it outright, if I just wait till it expires, will I be OK? I just don't want to be in legal trouble for something I can't even control or had no hand in doing. The license I am talking about expires in December of 2012 so it's a while yet. If I got pulled over or something, what's going to ha[pen? And most importantly (providing they do nothing to correct this), if I let it just expire, will it then be officially cancelled? I really don't want to be in trouble for some kind of fraud, through no fault of my own. I really don't understand why the license is still valid considering I moved over a year ago and thought I took care of this. I always seem to be the one who gets the infamous 'glitch'... I just don't want to be in trouble. It makes me nervous to even be inquiring about it to the DMV because they might think I'm up to no good! It's like a catch 22!

And AK Lawyer, I'm afraid because it's illegal to have 2 licenses from 2 states, you sgould know that! Bad answer!

Just to add, yes I turned the license in. But a few months after I turned it in, I got a notice from the other state saying if I didn't turn it in I'd be in trouble. So this is one major reason I'm asking. There's obviously a big glitch. What the heck am I supposed to do about it? I've tried to get proof, all I can get is the fact that I have a DL from my new state, and the DL #, but nothing else. What the heck?

Won't a state just cancel your license if you just ask? I don't see why they wouldn't, but does anyone know? Can you voluntarily tell them to cancel it? That may be my last resort.

Send the "old" License receipt requested with a copy of your new License to the old State and request that it be cancelled.

And, yes, in NY it is illegal to have double Licenses.

Thank you Judy, I will do that, unless I hear back from them telling me otherwise, or that they canceled it for me.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmilingInside

... But say they don't cancel it outright, if I just wait till it expires, will I be OK? ...

Yes. But to be sure, get them to put what they told you in writing.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmilingInside

... If I got pulled over or something, what's going to ha[pen? ...

If you don't show the officer your old DL, and pretend that it's a current license, nothing is going to happen regarding the double license issue.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SmilingInside

...
And AK Lawyer, I'm afraid because it's illegal to have 2 licenses from 2 states, you sgould know that!! Bad answer!!

I don't "know that", and neither do you. Unless you tell me what state you are in, it's impossilbe to look up the statute and verify whether "it's illegal", or not. It's generally a bad idea to assume something on the basis of mere rumor. You do know what "they" say about "assume"?

What is probably illegal is to apply for a new license without disclosing that you already have one from another state. If, for example, the "new state" DMV forgets to get the old one before issuing the old one, you have not done anything wrong. If they subsequently send you a notice to the effect that "apparently you still have the old license; please surrender in within ___ days," you would be in trouble for failing to do that. But it is not "illegal" (i.e.: a crime) to be in a situation (such as having two DLs) through no fault of your own.

This whole issue is another relic of the days when state agencies lacked computerized databases, accessible from anywhere. Today, if you are pulled over, and show your DL, the officer can instantly run it and determine your official status. It's no longer a problem.

Also often your old license is just cancelled, you don't actually turn it in, just throw it away of keep it as a "keep sake".
So I guess my question is, you know it is active, you ran a DMV report and it showed up ?

But to the two license, yes if you have two valid drivers license in some states ( I can not say all ) it is illegal and if you are stopped and somehow the officers finds it, you can be written a ticket. I wrote one ticket for that in may entire career as a police officer. And that was only because they carried both of them in their wallet and I saw both of them when they were getting into their wallet.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fr_Chuck

... if you are stopped and somehow the officers finds it, you can be written a ticket. I wrote one ticket for that in may entire career as a police officer. And that was only because they carried both of them in their wallet and I saw both of them when they were getting into their wallet.

He or she was being foolish to keep both in his/her wallet. More foolish to let Fr_Chuck to see both.

Generally, if the officer has probable cause to search your wallet, you are in way more trouble than simply having two DLs. Because that would mean you were being arrested for something else. :)

Fr_Chuck, just out of curiosity, was this the statue you issued the ticket under?

GEORGIA CODE, TITLE 40. MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC, "§ 40-5-20. License required; surrender of prior licenses; local licenses prohibited

(a) No person, except those expressly exempted in this chapter, shall drive any motor vehicle upon a highway in this state unless such person has a valid driver's license under this chapter for the type or class of vehicle being driven. Any person who is a resident of this state for 30 days shall obtain a Georgia driver's license before operating a motor vehicle in this state. Any violation of this subsection shall be punished as provided in Code Section 40-5-121, except the violation of driving with an expired license, or a violation of Code Section 40-5-29 or if such person produces in court a valid driver's license issued by this state to such person, he or she shall not be guilty of such offenses. Any court having jurisdiction over traffic offenses in this state shall report to the department the name and other identifying information of any individual convicted of driving without a license.
(b) No person, except those expressly exempted in this chapter, shall steer or, while within the passenger compartment of such vehicle, exercise any degree of physical control of a vehicle being towed by a motor vehicle upon a highway in this state unless such person has a valid driver's license under this chapter for the type or class of vehicle being towed.
(c)

(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection and in Code Section 40-5-32, no person shall receive a driver's license unless and until such person surrenders to the department all valid licenses in such person's possession issued to him or her by this or any other jurisdiction. All surrendered licenses issued by another jurisdiction shall be destroyed. The license information shall be forwarded to the previous jurisdiction. No person shall be permitted to have more than one valid driver's license at any time.
(2) Any noncitizen who is eligible for issuance of a driver's license pursuant to the requirements of this chapter may be issued a driver's license without surrendering any driver's license previously issued to him or her by any foreign jurisdiction. This exemption shall not apply to a person who is applying for a commercial driver's license or who is required to terminate any previously issued driver's license pursuant to federal law. The department shall make a notation on the driving record of any person who retains a foreign driver's license, and this information shall be made available to law enforcement officers and agencies on such person's driving record through the Georgia Crime Information Center.
(d) Any person licensed as a driver under this chapter may exercise the privilege thereby granted upon all streets and highways in this state and shall be required to obtain any other license to exercise such privilege by any county, municipality, or local board or body having authority to adopt local police regulations."

Because if it is, I don't think the ticket was valid. Subsection (c) (1) is intended as as directory to the DMV, but I don't read it as being a crime if the DMV fails to follow it's direction.

Fr chuck, I don't understand how the police wouldn't know if you had 2 licenses? When you give them your license, do they just run that one and no other information comes up? I don't see how that's possible. How would they not find out right away that a person has multiple licenses? I guess what I'm asking is, what do the cops see when they run a license, besides warrants, revocation, and the other obvious? States don't communicate between themselves to prevent people from getting more than one license? Can you just explain how this works, and maybe I can figure out what might have happened... maybe the states didn't communicate? There's not a national database regarding licenses?

Thanks in advance for taking the time to explain!

They only run the drivers license you give them, there is not really a national data base that will pull us any license. Those are state data bases still, and are merely linked. *** OK, this is how it was a few years back before I left that type of work.

Warrants and convictions are entered into a national data base ( NCIC) but they do not do driving records.

So the officer only runs the license you give them, there is not a nation wide check for license when you are stopped.

As for as the charge, remember doing it, not what the charge was, it was more of that absure issue, I think I did a false ID to start with, DA changed it to something else, and they finally plead out as something minor ( not that the entire two id was not minor to start with.

It involved a DUI so the two license was just a side note on this person. Had it not been for the DUI I most likely would have just taken one of them and returned it to the state. If my memory serves me, I had not passed the DUI certification yet, so I had to wait for another officer to come and do the field test, Sort of something to do, to fill in the wait, figure a charge for it.

We were good at those obsure laws, in GA, giving us a right to stop a car.
Nothing hanging from the front mirror, no stickers on the back window that may obstruct view, * well you can't tell if it does not does not block view till you stop them and check can you?** and almost 1/2 or more of license place covers, actually cover the county or the year sticker , thus are illegal. I used to in the day, be able to stand by the street and show a reason that 1 in 4 cars normally could be stopped for some reason if you wanted to.