N.J.: Security Lapse With Photo Licenses

1010 WINS ^ | May 21, 2003 | 1010 WINS

[LurkedLongEnough]

(1010 WINS) TRENTON, N.J. The state has acknowledged a security lapse involving people who seek duplicate copies of photo driver's licenses.

Millennium Radio News reported Wednesday that Division of Motor Vehicle officials do not verify who steps in front of their cameras, so there is no way of knowing whether the motorist who requested the duplicate license is the person who had their picture taken.

DMV Director Diane Legreide blames the problem on the agency's antiquated computer systems and said there may not be a quick-fix solution. The report also noted that DMV regulations allow the same person to receive up to eight duplicate licenses per day.

Legreide said her agency recently started to cross-check social security numbers and addresses of applicants, but added that officials ''would not know for days if somebody went to get a duplicate license from agency to agency.''

The problem should start to ease when the state starts issuing the new digital drivers licenses in July, but it will take a minimum of four years before all New Jersey drivers are in the new database. However, a spokesman for Gov. James E. McGreevey said officials are working on a short-term solution.

[Mister Baredog]

The report also noted that DMV regulations allow the same person to receive up to eight duplicate licenses per day.

Maybe they should announce this on Al Jazeera, that should increase "tourism" to the "garden state".

[dead]

I'll bet a dollar that the incompetents at the DMV are ID nazis when it comes to 19 and 20 year old white kids, but let any Mohammed, Hussein, or Sahib get all the licenses they want. (though they probably make them wait in three hour lines like everybody else.)

[gitmo]

You can create a birth certificate on a PC in minutes. The only guarantee would be fingerprinting citizens at birth, and at licensing time.

[Political Junkie Too]

Millennium Radio News reported Wednesday that Division of Motor Vehicle officials do not verify who steps in front of their cameras, so there is no way of knowing whether the motorist who requested the duplicate license is the person who had their picture taken.

Is it true that Frank Lautenburg is willing to step in front of the camera for you with two-weeks notice?

-PJ

[wideawake]

I was at the Monmouth County DMV a few weeks ago.

I think I can state with confidence that there is not enough time to anything 8 times in one day.

[Cable225]

I was at the Monmouth County DMV a few weeks ago.
I think I can state with confidence that there is not enough time to anything 8 times in one day.

Eatontown, Freehold or Matawan?

True story - a couple of years ago I was going to the Bahamas and needed a photo id. My driver's license was a paper (no photo) one and I needed something with a photo to get through customs.

So I went to DMV in Matawan, and explained to the attendant that I wanted to get a DMV-issued photo ID card. She told me that since I had a license, I couldn't get an ID card, I could only get another license, and it would cost me 20-someodd dollars because I had to pay the full photo license renewal fee.

So I walked over to the Dunkin Donuts across the street and had a cup of coffee. Walking back over to DMV, I took off my glasses, flipped my baseball hat backwards, and turned my shirt inside out. Told the same attendant that I lost my driver's license and needed a replacement.

NJ replaces licenses with photo licenses for a $5.00 charge. Ten minutes and $5.00 later, I had my photo ID.

What a system.

[wideawake]

Eatontown.

But I'm sure the bright lights working there would have fallen for a similar devious ruse.

[RicocheT]

NJ "DMV regulations allow the same person to receive up to eight duplicate licenses per day"

NJ may as well include blocks of Semtex or plastique with detonators attached along with those duplicate licenses to save the terrorists more time and trouble.

[Cable225]

But I'm sure the bright lights working there would have fallen for a similar devious ruse.

I used to have an office-mate that was a flaming liberal. Every time he would start going on about univeral (socialized) health care I would ask him if he enjoyed going to DMV.

After the obligatory "NO", I would remind him that's what he had in mind for health care.

[appalachian_dweller]

Just one more reason for people to be prepared and alert.

[Fred Mertz]

I knew of a NJ guy about ten years ago who had two different licenses. The differences were the dates of birth.

I held a NJ license for about 20+ years and never had a photo. That was okay by me. I can't stand getting digital pics taken 'cuz I know they're being sent to a centralized gummint database.

[dead]

A friend of mine in college just wrote "Waive Reinstatement Fee - CJ" on his forms when he needed a suspended license reinstated (after paying some delinquent parking tickets).

"CJ" was just two initials he chose at random, but they never questioned him and he saved fifty bucks.

[LurkedLongEnough]

The image of Frank Lautenburg would break even a digital camera.