Married Women Can’t Get REAL IDs In New York

As the deadline for REAL IDs quickly approaches, some married women in New York can't get theirs. It's funny to see people cheering on the decimation of government jobs, not realizing how difficult it will make life for them later. Whether we like it or not, the majority of us will need to interact with the government throughout our lives. I'm not talking about people who rely on government benefits like SNAP or welfare. I'm talking about vital records, Social Security, the IRS, etc.

When it's time to get a copy of your Social Security card, birth certificate, or have a question about a tax form, it will be more difficult to get help with a drastically reduced government workforce. It will take the same people cheering on DOGE experiencing the frustration of delays, wait times, and not being able to reach a person for them to realize the damage that's been done.

New York DMV Accused Of Discriminating Against Married Women

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Married women in the State of New York seem to be experiencing frustration with the government, specifically getting vital records. The deadline for getting a REAL ID is approaching, on May 7, 2025. I've seen a lot of New Yorkers wrongly claim that REAL ID requirements are a Democratic money grab led by Governor Kathy Hochul.

Republican U.S. House Representative Jim Sensenbrenner introduced the Real ID Act as H.R. 418 in February 2005, which passed in the House of Representatives. After some debate and delay, the bill was agreed on by both houses and signed into law by Republican President George W. Bush on May 11, 2005.

The REAL ID Act, passed by Congress in 2005, enacted the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation that the Federal Government 'set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver's licenses.' The Act established minimum security standards for license issuance and production and prohibits certain federal agencies from accepting for certain purposes driver’s licenses and identification cards from states not meeting the Act’s minimum standards. ~ Department of Homeland Security

Some women in New York are facing difficulties in getting their REAL IDs. Due to document requirements, they are unable to obtain their IDs, according to News10NBC WHEC.

Why Are Married Women Having Trouble Getting REAL IDs?

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According to the federal government, which set the requirements for REAL IDs, one of the types of documents needed is,

"To prove your identity, you can bring a U.S. birth certificate, U.S. passport, or Permanent Resident Card (Green Card) if you are a non-U.S. citizen."

This is where the problem arises for married women. In order to prove their identity, if they took their husbands' last names, they will need to provide their marriage certificate. Sounds easy enough, right? Well, according to the New York women below, it's not.

Dorothy Ballone brought a copy of her 1958 marriage certificate with her to the DMV to get her REAL ID. However, she was denied her REAL ID because her marriage license wasn't the original copy with raised seals. Another NY woman, Betty Schultz, doesn't have her original documents either. She was married in Hawaii in 1974, almost 50 years ago. Schultz told WHEC, “I had recently gone to the DMV to get my Real ID and found out that nothing I had could be used." Talk about frustrating!

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I have recently needed a copy of an original document. I tried filling out the form, but I had a question. Guess what? I couldn't reach anyone to ask my question. But, hey, let's cut vital government services...who needs em?!

To all the married women rushing to get their REAL IDs, I wish you luck! You can find more details about the requirements here.

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