driver licensing 2003-2020

Question: Can I get a license plate for an automobile without having a drivers license?Certainly.If you purchase a vehicle from a dealership, they will give you temporary tags and then order permanent tags for you from the state. These can be mailed to you (or you can stop by and pick them up) after your registration has been processed by the state. This take 10 days to 2 weeks on average.If you purchase a vehicle in a private sale, you can go to the state DMV/BMV offices and obtain your registration and license tags there. You fill out some paperwork, give them the old title and pay a series of fees for taxes, registration and miscellaneous other items. They will either give you the license tags that day or you will be given temporary tags there also and have the new ones mailed to you. The mailing option will again take (on average) 10 days to 2 weeks.NOTE, If you don’t have a drivers license, it would be very unwise to drive the vehicle to the DMV/BMV branch. In some states, a clerk would need to check your vehicle’s VIN (Vehicle Identification Number) and they will ask how you arrived in the vehicle if you are not licensed to drive. They can and will contact the police anythings will get less pleasant from there.Finally, in some states (Illinois being one) private agencies are allowed to undertake some DMV functions, including vehicle registration. They are often far less crowded and more convenient than DMV locations, however they often charge as much as a 25% surcharge for that convenience.Depending upon the location, they will either give you temp tags and request that you return for the permanent tags. Or they can provide with new permanent tags ,s o long s they are “basic” and not personalized, or specialty plates.

In the United States it is very easy to change your name. You go to the local courthouse and request a change of name form. You fill it out, with the most important question on the form being, 'Why do you want to change your name?. You give the completed paper and money to the receptionist and receive a court date in exchange. You appear before the judge and explain why you want to change your name. They give you the documents to use to show every business, etc and your name is officially changed. At least, that is what I did seven years ago when I changed mine.

About 8 months ago I walked into a gun store and walked out 30 minutes later with an AR-15 style weapon. My rifle cost me about 850$ USD and came with one extra magazine. It’s chambered in 5.56 and fires semi auto. Not that “Full Semi Auto” crap you hear on the news. I’ll get back to that in a second.When I walked in, I had previously purchased two firearms from the dealer and was perfectly satisfied with what I got. Both of them are more traditional rifle weapons that you would think of being used for hunting or similar. The gentleman who was running the counter knows who I am and that I come in with an idea of what I want and that I want it knew. He finished with the customer he was working with while I looked at the store’s cannon. Yes, an actual working cannon. When the other customer had finished he called out to me and this exchange happened. This took about 10 minutes.“Mr. Bowman. Good to see you again.”“Hello Mr. Ron. It’s great to be back here. Would you happen to have an AR-15 in stock?”“Yes sir.” He reaches behind him and pulls it down off of the wall “This one look good?” I spend about 5 minutes exploring the weapon. Basic things. Inspecting the sights, checking out the action and magazine port. Basic things. “Looks pretty good to me. Do you have any other recommendations?”“This is just my opinion but I find it’s usually better to use a red dot sight on one of these than irons.”“Ok. Got anything in particular you would suggest checking out?”“Yes sir. Right over here” He proceeds to lead me around the counter to the far side and pull out around 5 different models of sight. “I would recommend this one. It’s pretty cheap and works great. I have one on my rifle at home.”We proceed to spend about 10 minutes checking out the sights. I settle on the second cheapest one which is actually the one he suggested in the first place and then we walk back to the gun counter area. “I’m going to need you to fill out this paperwork if you don’t mind” I fill out the paperwork. Takes about 2 minutes. He gets his coworker to run it through the instant background check. I’m validated in less than 2 minutes. “Looks like it’s all good. Would you come over to the register and finish the purchase please?”About a minute later I was holding my rifle, sight and an ammo box with 500 rounds and walking out the door.If I had known exactly what I wanted on that day and hadn’t wanted any extras I could have been in and out in 5 minutes. The reason why this was so fast is because I’m an American citizen who has no record beyond a single misdemeanor driving ticket who went to a reputable gun store and didn’t act suspicious. If you are a felon, you can’t get guns. If you act suspicious they can refuse to sell to you.̶O̶b̶v̶i̶o̶u̶s̶l̶y̶ ̶i̶f̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶a̶r̶e̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶a̶n̶ ̶A̶m̶e̶r̶i̶c̶a̶n̶ ̶c̶i̶t̶i̶z̶e̶n̶ ̶y̶o̶u̶ ̶w̶o̶n̶’̶t̶ ̶b̶e̶ ̶a̶b̶l̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶b̶u̶y̶ ̶g̶u̶n̶s̶ ̶e̶i̶t̶h̶e̶r̶.̶It’s been brought to my attention that non citizens can actually purchase firearms in the US if they have a greencard. My apologies.The reason I brought up the “Full Semi Auto” crap earlier. The media lies to you. What they are trying to imply is that the weapon was automatic meaning when you pull the trigger it keeps firing. What it actually means is that the weapon is semi automatic which means it only shoots one bullet when you pull the trigger. It’s a way to demonize gun owners like myself and make us all seem like crazy mass murders. It’s honestly infuriating.

In the US, as long as you're not applying for a job which requires you to drive, it should probably be ok.  Most employers use a driver's license or State-issued ID card as a way of establishing that you're actually who you say you are. If the job does require a valid driver's license, you aren't qualified for that position yet.  The job posting may have listed minimum requirements.  But if you're working at a desk or front counter or in a restaurant (not delivering), the lack of a driver's license probably isn't a big deal.

They are not back dating their birth years. They are actually writing their birth years using the Republic of China Calendar. 1912 was the first year of the founding of the Republic of China. Therefore, 1912 was Year 1 of the Republic of China.As you might know, the Republic of China retreated to Taiwan in 1949. In Taiwan, people still write their birth dates on official documents using the Republic of China Calendar. A person born on 1 January, 1970, would write one’s birth date as the 59th year of the Republic of China, January, 1.

I filled out one of those forms yesterday and “bald” was one of the options.Otherwise I think you’d put in the color of your eyebrows.

Good news — you can renew an expired license online or in person in California. Here’s some info to see which you’re eligible for.There are no late fees. Just remember, it is illegal for you to drive until your license is renewed :)You are eligible to renew online if you:Are not changing your addressAre not on driving suspension or probationHave a driver's license from only one stateHave not violated a written promise to appear in court in the last 2 yearsYour last two consecutive renewals were not by mailDo not need to take the written testAre not a senior driver (70 years old or older)To renew online:Register for the CA DMV online services hereLogin to renew your driver's licensePay a $36 renewal feeYou must renew in person if you are 70 years old or older, your license will expire in more than 60 days, your last 2 renewals were not completed in person, or you need to take a written test.To renew in person:Complete your Driver's License application: (to save time, do it ahead of time online!)Schedule a DMV appointment (select renew driver’s license option)Bring your required documents to your appointment. For US citizens, these include:Identification documents and proof of legal presence: California state IDSSN2 proofs of California residency - mortgage or utility bills (including phone bills), rental or lease agreement, bank statements(If applicable) Legal documents stating name change$36 renewal fee in cash or debit

On January 19, 1979, a big part of me died when my 26-year old brother Danny died due to complications arising after heart surgery. Back in 1979, imaging techniques were not like they are now. The doctors did not understand the morphology of Danny’s heart, and his ticker quit ticking because the pacemaker electrode was placed outside of his heart instead of its intended destination within a heart chamber.Looking back on this story, I instinctively knew that Danny’s death was an inevitability, although to me he was invincible. On the cold January night about a week or two before he died, I remember seeing him put on his jacket and head out the door on his way to the hospital. I was a 15-year old kid, laying on the carpet in front of the TV, watching some show at the time. My 6 foot 2 inch brother seemed extra large that night as he towered over me in his blue jacket as he turned towards me and said he would see me later.The details of his medical condition could fill a text book. He was born with a condition known as dextrocardia situs inversus totalis. This means that his heart was on the right side of his body and other organs were reversed, too.When he was born, he was supposed to die quickly. I guess God had a different plan for him and allowed him to stay with us for over 26 years. Although I spent many days of my life in Chicago’s Children’s Memorial Hospital during his illnesses, I never got tired of laying down with Danny when he got sick. I would place my head on his chest and listen to his heart beat a-rhythmically at over 220 beats per minute. At times it sounded like he had a percussion band inside his chest.With each episode of tachycardia he experienced, additional damage was being done to his heart muscles. The previous January (1978), Danny spent nearly a month in the hospital trying to recover from one of those episodes. The ventilator they used on him caused him to remain hoarse until he died a year later.Now getting back to his heart operation, I was sure Danny was going to survive. The doctors had installed a temporary pacemaker through his groin, and that electrode hit its target. With the aid of this pacemaker, Danny seemed stronger than ever, even though he had to be bedridden during this time.After a team of doctors were assembled and the permanent internal pacemaker was produced, the big day of the surgery arrived on Jan 19, 1979. After his surgery was over, I was relieved. I was able to visit him in his hospital room after the surgery was over and he had reawakened. We talked for a couple of minutes before I told him that I was going to be back to the hospital in a little while to see him. He said, “OK, I’ll see you later.” Those were the last words he ever spoke to me.I had to walk several miles home, through several feet of snow to pick-up radio control airplane equipment that I had ordered. Sometime during that cold and lonely walk, where no cars were driving down the roads due to the snow pack, Danny died. I didn’t know it at the time but I would soon find out when I returned to the hospital.I realized that Danny had died when I finally understood why my family, the nurses and the doctors were all crying in unison. When the truth hit my brain, it went into that high-speed recording mode and my primitive brain took over. I hit the floor, convulsing while I hyperventilated uncontrollably. While the nurses got a bag to place over my face, someone helped pick me up and put me in a chair as the nurses told me to hold my head low and breathe into the bag.After I emerged from the state of hyper-ventilation I was in, I managed to see him in his hospital bed. What I remember most about the moment that I saw him was that he died with a smile on his face. He died in peace and his pain was finally gone.After Danny died, I switched beds and started sleeping in his bed. Three nights later, Danny visited me in our bedroom in the middle of the night. His audible voice came into my bedroom and awoke me. As I sat up in the dark room, we had a conversation as my eyes strained to see his body. Although I’ll save most of the story for later, he told me that he had permission to talk to me because of the grief that I was suffering. He told me to believe that he was in a better place, a beautiful place, and to go on and live a happy life. He said that we would talk again if I never told anyone about this encounter.This event and the other situations I experienced at that time, had a very profound impact on me. My vision of life was completely re-written. I went from being a kid that played multiple sports to bring satisfaction to my Mom and Brother, to a kid that realized the impossibly thin edge that exists between life and death. I saw life passing in seconds, like a sun ray glimmering on a wave in a lake. To this day, I grieve over the loss of my brother and I look forward to the day we get to reunite.P.S.I didn’t tell this story to anyone for many months. Eventually, my immaturity as a 15 year-old coupled with the unbelievable nature of the after-death contact from Danny was too much for me to bear. I ended up sharing this story with my good friend Steve.Since that confession, Danny has never contacted me again. I broke the rules and have paid the price, although I was blessed to have my personal religion solidified for my lifetime.I know that many readers of this story will not believe it, but that is OK with me. I probably wouldn’t believe it either if someone told it to me. However, this encounter was the most profound event of my life and I know that it happened. Those minutes I shared with my deceased brother are with me every day that I live and have given me peace and solitude as I pass through space and time in this wonderful life.

Simple answer is:  Don't break any applicable laws while doing it and you'll be good to go!Federal law requires that you be at least 21 years of age to purchase a handgun from an Federal Firearms License holding dealer, but in most states you will need to be 21 or older to legally possess a handgun no matter where you buy it. So, figure age 21 or older, and you'll be safe. Federal law prohibits certain people from possessing firearms or ammunition. The main one is convicted felons, but there are several other similar classes of people, the least of which is anyone who has been convicted of a misdemeanor domestic assault or abuse. Most state laws follow federal law in this regard. In some states, you must have a permit to acquire a handgun. Get it. It's no big deal. It's not a permit to carry, just to acquire. You must have it if you buy a handgun from an individual or even if you accept it as a gift if its from anyone other than immediate family members, such as your parents.After that, buy your Glock. Buying through an FFL dealer is your best bet, but there is generally nothing wrong from buying from an individual if you do it right. Preferably it's someone you already know at least some and have no reason to believe is selling it in bad faith. In other words, your best judgement indicates that it's probably not stolen or has been used to commit a crime with. If you're getting it in the case with accessories at roughly market price and the individual doesn't seem to be in an especially big hurry to sell it, you're probably all right. If he's selling it very cheaply and acts like he wanted it gone yesterday, that's not a good sign and buying from him once you've observed that could potentially expose you to culpability for purchasing a stolen pistol if the authorities come to believe that you should have known the deal wasn't legitimate.Once you purchase it, to be fully legal, I'd recommend lawfully taking it home with you. A locking tool box or a small suitcase, even a cardboard box well secured with tape should be all right. The key is that it's not readily accessible and too large to conceal on your person. Put it in the trunk or somewhere where you can't reach it while driving. Once you're on your own property, you can typically carry or conceal it any way you want with no problem.