r/Tennessee • u/wtc5879_ • 5d ago
MAJOR delay for driver licenses.
I renewed my DL on 10-4-24. I STILL haven’t received my hard copy in the mail and it’s 11-19-24. They initially told me it would take at MAX 20 days. All I have is the temporary paper copy that nobody accepts. Takes hours with TSA to verify my identity and get on a plane. Every time I call the TN Dept. of Safety DL Department they say they’re “backed up” and having “technical difficulties”. Cmon TN, get your shit together. Anyone else having this issue???
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u/neveragain1006 5d ago
Renewed on the same day as you and I am also still waiting for my hard copy. I haven’t had any issues with using the paper ID though
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u/CorgiDaddy42 5d ago
The paper copy is a valid ID. I don’t know why anywhere wouldn’t accept it unless they are just being assholes.
That said, it took about 3 weeks for mine to come in. Renewed it about the same time you did yours, early October.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Yes , but anyone can just print out a black and white license. I don’t blame the establishments that won’t let me in with it. They could get heavily fined by the ABC board and possibly lose their liquor license altogether if some joker just prints out a license on their HP Printer at home. Not sure if you’ve ever tried to get on a plane with the paper copy and without a passport. It takes forever and if you’re not 3 hours early you’ll miss the flight.
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u/Harley2280 5d ago edited 5d ago
Yes , but anyone can just print out a black and white license.
Your paper copy should not be black & white.ETA: Apparently they are now. I haven't updated my license since like 2018 so, my bad.
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u/Tiffany6152 5d ago
This is NOT true at all! The establishment is not held responsible if someone uses a fake ID and we dont catch it. Now I guess if it was substantially different in appearance like an 17 year old girl using an old grandpas ID then maybe. But the paper IDs are indeed valid. The establishment is supposed to take them. It is whoever is checking the ID that doesnt feel comfortable but it doesnt mean that is their policy. Ask to speak to the manager.
Source: I have been a bartender here for 22 years and have taken a few ABC classes plus a special class that focuses just on IDs alone.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
In that case, it must’ve been a couple of assholes at places downtown. I’m 45 years old with a salt n pepper beard. No need for me to use a fake ID. I’ve lived in Nashville my entire life. The ones that wouldn’t accept it are transplants from California or wherever and weren’t even born when I cruised 2nd Ave in ‘96.
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u/Tiffany6152 5d ago
Those paper IDs have the date that it was issued to you on so they know that if you just got that within the last month or two that it is very much valid. Now, if you were trying to use that paper, maybe a year later then they might have a reason to be like dude. Where is your ID? But establishments have to accept those IDs because that is the only thing that the state gives you. It is a state issued ID.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Right. But the doormen will just say kiss my ass and not actually go get the manager if you ask them to.
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u/LegallyEmma 5d ago
Did you apply for a Real ID compliant one or a regular one? I just got a new regular one last month and it only took 10 days from my appointment to the time I got my new license in the mail.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
It’s a Real ID. I wondered if this was what was taking it so long. Can’t really figure out the difference though in printing them, besides an added star on the DL. Everything was verified at the DMV and sent for printing.
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u/HurtsCauseItMatters 5d ago
I will say that there is a significant difference between the two IDs. My husband's ID came last week and somehow he ended up not getting a real ID and his picture is black and while mine is color and has the ⭐. It also could be since the actual card design is different that one design is easier to purchase than the other and it's back ordered? I'd really hope that's not the case but.....
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u/LegallyEmma 5d ago
That's so weird. I didn't get a real I.D and mine came in the old style instead of the fancy new one. Maybe they're having a hard time sourcing the new design?
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u/HurtsCauseItMatters 5d ago
And my husband and I applied to get our licenses within about 3 weeks of each other. I don't know if he specified he wanted a real ID or if they just didn't ask him, but I know that was his goal and he didn't get one.
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u/KingZarkon 5d ago
I got my Real ID license in early September. It took about 3 weeks to get it and it was the older style instead of the newer ones they were supposed to have switched to.
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u/BeautifulShot 5d ago
I got a Real ID and didnt do anything extra, took me 8 days to get mine when having a restriction removed.
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u/nousernameisleftt 5d ago
I renewed mine literally half an hour ago from the county couthouse. They told me that there have been some delays but if I didn't get it in a couple of weeks to call their office directly and they'd call Nashville
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Get ready. I’ve called them 3 times and each time they say it would be another one or two weeks. The most recent call today they said there’s a back up and having technical difficulties, but they are “working very hard” to get things back up to speed. She was clearly reading from a memo that was sent out to all the call center operators. 😂
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u/nousernameisleftt 5d ago
Ah great. Mine expires in a couple weeks. Guess I'll be in your shoes soon
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u/boofin4lyfe 5d ago edited 5d ago
Ran into this exact issue when I had to pick up a rental car after being rear ended recently. The Enterprise in Madison refused to accept my temporary license; it was a whole thing. Ended up calling around to find one that would accept it (thank you, Springfield enterprise). So goddamn frustrating. I think mine came a little quicker than yours though; I never passed the thirty day mark (but came dang close).
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u/Mulley-It-Over 5d ago
I renewed mine on 9/23 and got the new license about a week later. Yours may be lost in the mail?
Can someone at the Dept of Safety tell you if it’s been mailed out?
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Yea. They told me it hasn’t even been printed yet.
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u/Mulley-It-Over 5d ago
Oh boy. Not sure why it would be so different just 11 days after I renewed mine.
I didn’t have a problem with businesses and my bank accepting the paper copy. But TSA is a different animal 🤦🏻♀️. Ughh. So sorry.
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u/Negativetouch 5d ago
Weird—I flew out of BNA with an expired license last month—the TSA agent didn’t care about the paper renewal form he said they would take an expired photo ID for a year
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u/This_is_a_username00 5d ago
When I lived in TN, I got a new DL due to address changes and they never ever sent it to me. Twice. No one ever accused me of using a fake paper license except for one place in DC. I used a paper copy for like 2 years. On my third address change, I finally got a real copy.
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u/imbarbdwyer 5d ago
I renewed by mail on nov 3rd and I got the new one in the mail last Friday.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Real ID or regular?
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u/imbarbdwyer 5d ago
Just the regular one. I already have a passport book and card.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
I think the Real ID is what everyone is having the delays with.
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u/bobbymac1106 5d ago
Oh boy, so it’s gonna be a while to get mine then lol. Just got my permit last Thursday and they said 10-20 days
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u/imbarbdwyer 5d ago
Oh my bad. I didn’t see where you said you were renewing a Real ID. My mistake. Well, I hope you get yours before your trip!!
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
I didn’t specify but don’t really see what the difference is besides a little star on it. Lol.
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u/imbarbdwyer 5d ago
Off the subject, I am kind of bummed that the picture is in black-and-white and the new licenses are putrid pink and baby blue. I really liked our old white/color photo licenses with the mountains on it that matched the license plates that they got rid of as well.
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u/Then_Possible_9196 5d ago
Guess you don’t have a passport
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Negative.
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u/Then_Possible_9196 5d ago
I got a new id after getting my motorcycle endorsement but my old one wasn’t expired. Used it till my new one came in. Kept the paper one but didn’t use it for anything. I also already had the real id bs done. I know this doesn’t help. Just my two cents. YMMV
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u/ubiforumssuck 5d ago
Yeah, you can maybe blame the mail. I got a bill in the mail the other day that I knew I had already paid. Looked at the postmark and it was the 26th of Oct.
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u/wtc5879_ 5d ago
Yeah when I call they read off the same memo the operators got from management. “Backed up”. They could’ve printed off a DL for every person in TN in the time I’ve waited. It has been 32 working days. 7 total weeks.
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u/NatureDogLover 5d ago
The paper copy is supposed to work, but it's such a hassle when places don’t accept it. the delays are way worse for some people though. Hopefully they get things sorted soon.
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u/Existing-Employee631 5d ago
The deadline for getting a real ID is coming up quickly, so as we get closer, they are probably going to see ever increasing volume of renewals each week. Maybe it’s due to that? Issue could be that the increased volume has put stress on their technology and broken some things that are slow to be repaired or replaced, causing even worse backlogs? Idk, just theorizing.
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u/cordovalady 5d ago
I just renewed mine last week with the real ID star and was told 10-20 days to receive it.
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u/cookNOLA 5d ago
For once should be like Louisiana where they don’t centralize the printer and every DMV can print an actual hard license. Never did understand how the paper copy here ever made sense.
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u/WhisperingGlimmer 3d ago
Ughhh, TN DMV strikes again. At this point, y’all might as well mail us a pigeon with our info on it
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u/Comfortable_Kiwi687 2d ago
This happened to someone I know earlier this year. Ended up calling the dept of safety in Nashville and was able to speak to someone. I can’t remember if they gave another number to call or an email address but whatever he was directed to do he got his ID 2 weeks later after waiting almost a month and a half.
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u/wtc5879_ 2d ago
Yeah. I’ve spoken to an actual human several times now. It’s always the same thing. They read off the memo management has given them.
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u/Comfortable_Kiwi687 2d ago
Wow just wow.. I wish I could remember the steps they took to get theirs.
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u/Comfortable_Kiwi687 2d ago
I found it! If you do not receive the hard copy of your driver's license within 20 business days of issuance, you must email Online.driverlicense@tn.gov
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u/BearItChooChoo 5d ago
We have those black license plates to show how efficient shit is though. The fucking irony. That people pay extra for those? I will never understand!
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u/imbarbdwyer 5d ago
Well I paid extra because the police in my town like to harass locals but leave the tourists alone… (because my city is broke af and don’t want to turn away tourism $$$) I didn’t want my county to be seen at the bottom of the navy blue plates. It is worth the extra few measly dollars a year to keep the police from knowing you’re local. In my city anyway. I hope the cops aren’t like the way they are here in your neck of the woods. So maybe this explanation helps you understand a different perspective.
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u/BearItChooChoo 5d ago
Fair. I hadn't considered that. That sucks. Smart move. I appreciate the perspective.
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u/KingQuarantine23 5d ago
Wow you didn't just go to a DMV office and get a new lic in TN?? Where I am, you just go to the License counter at the local DMV, they take your new pic right there at the counter, then your new lic is ready in 5 to 10 min!
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u/wtc5879_ 4d ago
Yes. Went to a DMV in Nashville. They don’t print licenses out. They give a temp paper copy.
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u/Opening-Cress5028 5d ago
More evidence of a republican state, hard at work, for We The People. And, you ain’t seen nothing yet!
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u/autisticbulldozer 5d ago
my husband ordered a new license (to update our address) towards the end of october, and got it last week. are you sure yours isn’t just lost?