New Jersey Bans Smiling in Driver's License Photos

Jiro said:
I live in NJ too. couple of tips to make your next DMV trip more pleasant and shorter.

1. Upon your arrival at DMV, ask a person (front desk or police officer) to find a right line.
2. Go to DMV about 15+ min before it opens. You will be done in a jiffy.
3. Go to other DMV little further away especially in suburb area or away from metropolitan area because it's usually not very busy most of times.

In my area, we have 2 DMVs but they're always always always busy and people would be waiting in the lines for hours. There's a DMV about 20 min further away where I can get my things done quickly. My friend just told me about it when I posted status message in my FB about me waiting in the line for hours. I wish I knew beforehand....

We used to have 2 other DMV offices but it's much smaller than main DMV because it's for quick jobs such as renewing your ID, filing paperwork, etc. but they got shut down few years ago.
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Well I live far from the closest DMV and have considered just using my passport now on for identification. On a side note it is nice to meet a fellow Ner Jersey citizen.
 
Reba said:
Our DMV's have streamlined the process. Many of the processes can be done online or by mail now. That reduced the number of people showing up at the stations. Also, when a person arrives there, the employee at the reception desk asks what the purpose is and gives the person a number ticket for the appropriate window. Then, the person takes a seat and waits for the number to be announced/shown, and goes up to that window. There are no lines to stand in.

The only people who seem to have problems there are ones who don't bring the appropriate documents. They could have gotten that information online. Also, there are signs in the lobby before you get your number that tell you what documents are needed for each service. That way, you can find out and go back to get them before sitting around waiting for nothing.

Even if you need to go in person, you can download forms and fill them out ahead of time, to make the process quicker.
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Basically the same where I live...and I go online to renew my DL....As for the boys' personal ID, we went down there...and there are no lines, there are chairs to sit in after you get a #.....and watch for it to appear on the screen....while waiting, we could chat...and I even sort of cleaned out my purse and checked my checking account for accuracy.....just to make the time go by faster.
 
Reba said:
Our DMV's have streamlined the process. Many of the processes can be done online or by mail now. That reduced the number of people showing up at the stations. Also, when a person arrives there, the employee at the reception desk asks what the purpose is and gives the person a number ticket for the appropriate window. Then, the person takes a seat and waits for the number to be announced/shown, and goes up to that window. There are no lines to stand in.

The only people who seem to have problems there are ones who don't bring the appropriate documents. They could have gotten that information online. Also, there are signs in the lobby before you get your number that tell you what documents are needed for each service. That way, you can find out and go back to get them before sitting around waiting for nothing.

Even if you need to go in person, you can download forms and fill them out ahead of time, to make the process quicker.
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same here but the waiting period is still long. nothing we can do about it especially if we live in very populated area....
 
Jiro said:
same here but the waiting period is still long. nothing we can do about it especially if we live in very populated area....
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Maybe your area needs more DMV branches. How far is it from your house to the DMV?
 
MarkFromNJ said:
Well I live far from the closest DMV and have considered just using my passport now on for identification. On a side note it is nice to meet a fellow Ner Jersey citizen.
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:wave: to fellow NJ

live far from nearest DMV? how far are we talking about? 30 min?

hmmm..... sounds like you live in West or South NJ...
 
Reba said:
Maybe your area needs more DMV branches.
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well they shut down 2 smaller DMV branches few years ago near my home. I have no idea why. budget cut? part of Governor Christie's streamlining plan? :dunno:

Reba said:
How far is it from your house to the DMV?
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20 minutes. next time - I will go to other DMV branch that is not always busy. Only extra 15 minutes more.

pro - just about everything is pretty close to me.
con - always busy and crowdy.
 
Jiro said:
well they shut down 2 smaller DMV branches few years ago near my home. I have no idea why. budget cut? part of Governor Christie's streamlining plan? :dunno:


20 minutes. next time - I will go to other DMV branch that is not always busy. Only extra 15 minutes more.

pro - just about everything is pretty close to me.
con - always busy and crowdy.
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The DMV that I use is 7 miles away; 15-25 minute drive, depending on time of day. It handles most services except for international drivers.

I've also interpreted at DMV. For "special" clients, they don't make you wait in line, and you conduct your business in a private office. It's nice for interpreting because there is room for everyone to be in a comfortable position for signing and viewing, with fewer distractions. We get to sit in chairs around a desk instead of standing at a window.
 
Reba said:
Depends on the exact range of vision abilities. Even then, most states use the term "corrective lenses" or just the code on a license instead of "glasses" because so many people wear contacts. So, a picture doesn't really mean anything.

Or do you mean the vision test itself?
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It might have changed recently.

Yes, I know about the code. There has always been one.

I'm referring to wearing glasses in the picture for quick reference when the officer is looking at your license. I don't wear glasses, but people tell me that they're asked to bring glasses to the DMV when getting their picture taken (even if they already wear contacts). They said it was for quick identification purposes. I guess that changed recently?
 
VamPyroX said:
It might have changed recently.

Yes, I know about the code. There has always been one.

I'm referring to wearing glasses in the picture for quick reference when the officer is looking at your license. I don't wear glasses, but people tell me that they're asked to bring glasses to the DMV when getting their picture taken (even if they already wear contacts). They said it was for quick identification purposes. I guess that changed recently?
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I've never heard of that. Interesting. If they wear contacts, I don't see how a picture of them wearing glasses would make identification quicker. It seems counterproductive, to be honest.

Do deaf drivers need to wear hearing aids for their photo, for quick identification? j/k

Seriously, my SIL had his right leg amputated last year, so his new license indicates that he either has to drive an automatic and wear his prosthetic leg, and/or use hand controls. His DL photo doesn't show his stump.

:dunno:
 
Reba said:
I've never heard of that. Interesting. If they wear contacts, I don't see how a picture of them wearing glasses would make identification quicker. It seems counterproductive, to be honest.

Do deaf drivers need to wear hearing aids for their photo, for quick identification? j/k

Seriously, my SIL had his right leg amputated last year, so his new license indicates that he either has to drive an automatic and wear his prosthetic leg, and/or use hand controls. His DL photo doesn't show his stump.

:dunno:
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I looked it up online.

It seems that if you're required to wear glass while driving, then you're required to wear glasses while getting your picture taken?

I dunno. :dunno:
 
Reba said:
What do you expect from a state that doesn't even allow its residents to pump their own gas?


If people can wear coverings on their heads for religious reasons, then why does anyone need to remove their headwear? It doesn't make sense. Apparently headwear doesn't interfere with the facial recognition software.
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The no smile rule has been in place for government employees for my agency since 2009 - we only learned about it when we had to re-do our identity cards. As for the headwear: baseball caps, winter hats, etc. aren't consider religious wear so it's not allowed in the photo - however no woman, for whatever reason cited, is allowed to cover her face. For the record, it's not just Muslims that cover their head; if a Jewish person wears a skull cap (sorry, don't know the name), they're not forced to remove it either.

Laura
 
VamPyroX said:
I looked it up online.

It seems that if you're required to wear glass while driving, then you're required to wear glasses while getting your picture taken?

I dunno. :dunno:
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Maybe in some states. :dunno:

It doesn't seem to make sense to me for contact wearers.
 
I didn't have to wear glasses in my drivers license picture. It did state that I "must wear corrective lenses" until I had RK eye surgery years ago and my vision was corrected to almost 20/20. Now my license does not have that on it, but it will soon as my vision is getting "old".
 
Reba said:
Maybe in some states. :dunno:

It doesn't seem to make sense to me for contact wearers.
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If you wear glasses and require them for driving, it's cited on the back of your license under restrictions. You don't need to be photographed with glasses/contacts unless you want to.

Laura
 
Lau2046 said:
The no smile rule has been in place for government employees for my agency since 2009 - we only learned about it when we had to re-do our identity cards. As for the headwear: baseball caps, winter hats, etc. aren't consider religious wear so it's not allowed in the photo - however no woman, for whatever reason cited, is allowed to cover her face. For the record, it's not just Muslims that cover their head; if a Jewish person wears a skull cap (sorry, don't know the name), they're not forced to remove it either.

Laura
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It's a yarmulke. Hasidim men wear brimmed hats.

I understand about religious head coverings. Of course it's not just Muslims.
There are still some orders of nuns that wear full habits that include covering their heads, too. There's a variety of religious head coverings.

I'm just saying, that if wearing a religious head covering doesn't interfere with a driver's identification, then a secular head covering shouldn't be a problem either, as long as the face isn't obscured.
 
Reba said:
It's a yarmulke. Hasidim men wear brimmed hats.

I understand about religious head coverings. Of course it's not just Muslims.
There are still some orders of nuns that wear full habits that include covering their heads, too. There's a variety of religious head coverings.

I'm just saying, that if wearing a religious head covering doesn't interfere with a driver's identification, then a secular head covering shouldn't be a problem either, as long as the face isn't obscured.
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Governments don't operate under this logic. They never have...
 
I have to agree with Reba for 1 main reason. Let me use a example. I read Archie comics and decide to make a church of Jughead I can say my religion requires me to wear that silly crown around all day just like Jughead did. Now that seems silly when you think about it but that leads to my point. The DMV is a government affiliate and from what I learned in my lifetime there is suppose to be a separation of church and state. Now on 1 side they could make a ruling that says nothing is permitted on head or face and they would be within the right as there is a separation of church and state therefore no headwear at all or they can say its all fine as to not discriminate.
 
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