My green card expires the last week of May and I will be filing to remove conditions on my greencard the last week of February. My driver's license expires on my birthday in June. Has anyone here been successful in obtaining a renewal Georgia Driver's License with the expired green card and the extension letter? If yes, which office did you use? If no, which office did you use, and did you then request the I-551 stamp in your passport from USCIS? (Georgia lists the I-551 stamp but not the extension letter as valid immigration documentation).

I am concerned about not being able to drive if they do not accept the letter and the 10 year card takes its time getting approved. We are out in the suburbs and my husband is out of the house from 7 am to 7 pm so I would have no way to get groceries, go to work, or make appointments. My passport is currently being renewed as it expires in April, and I hope at least to have my new passport before my DL expires in case I am able to get the I-551 stamp.

Thanks for your help.

If the DMV rejects the letter, schedule an info pass and have USCIS explain this to them and they should stamp your passport with I-551 stamp.

Thanks, YuAndDan, That is what I am hoping to be able to do. I am just trying to be pro-active so I can stop worrying about having to have an info pass without a DL to get there, or having to fight with Immigration to get the I-551 stamp because the State is 'supposed' to accept the letter. I hope that someone has had success at one of the offices and if so, then I can go to that office to renew my DL.

Take it from me, the Georgia DMV will not accept the extension letter alone as evidence. my thoughts to you, renew your license before your two year green card expires. I believe (but don't quote me on this) you can renew your license up to 60 days prior to your expiration date.

If that doesn't work simply make an info Pass and ask for an extension. My wife and I just did this about 3 weeks ago. The USCIS would not give her a 1 year extension stamp, but they did give her a 6 month stamp so she could renew hr license for 6 more months while we are waiting for her 10 year card.

If the USCIS gives you any trouble about getting a stamp just show them your green card (they will ask for it anyway) and then your license.

Let us know what happens.

Thanks. Yes, I was planning to go in about a month before it expires and now I'll do it while the green card is still active and see what happens. If all else fails, then I can follow your route and go get a 6 month stamp. Too bad the State governments and the Federal governments can learn to work together!

My Wife's Card expired on the 8th and we went on the 6th with the extension letter and there was no problem renewing the license. The only down fall is it was only renewed for one year, which means we have to come back next year and get it renewed again. But no hassles and no issues

Your green card was still valid. That's why you had no problems.

Hey ..
I am kinda' in the same boat.

My wife's GC expires Jan 30 but she has her 1 year extention letter. We were planning to go to the Atlanta DMV and get her a license on Feb 15 but the real question is WILL THEY ACCEPT THE LETTER AND THE EXPIRED GC?

Looks like the answer maybe NO from the responses posted here!! What's a poor husband to do?

Maybe the Infopass appt for the I-551 stamp is the answer and maybe not???

Any thoguhts are greatly apreciated here as well!

Good luck Kathryn41 from a fellow Atlantan!!

If your card is to expire in May. How do they extend when you show them your card is to expire. I am going to have this problem as well.

My Green Card expires in May and so does my lisence. So if I go early to renew them they are only going to renew them until my card expires. Is that right?

I think I am going to have the same problem, because they will only renew my DL whenever I show them something with a new expiration date, since my DL expires on the same date my GC expires. I wish I could go there 60 days prior to the expiration date, but they won't renew since my GC will expire soon also..... I'll try to go there with the extension letter, but I'm pretty sure I'll need the stamp to be able to renew my DL. Oh GOsh!

Let's keep track of each other's process and see what our experiences are. I am heartened to read pars3211's experience as I intend to apply for my new license while my green card is still valid - as long as I get my extension letter in time. The ridiculous thing is that the green card being expired or not shouldn't make a difference if you have the extension letter. WalCruz, hopefully your extension letter will arrive before the greencard and DL expire so you can get them renewed.

Peggy, I think the trick is to bring both the green card before it is expired, along with the extension letter from having filed to remove conditions to get a one year's Driver's License. Hopefully, the 10 year card will be in before the year is up so you can renew your DL with a multi-year one. It looks like we will be on a similar time line for filing to remove conditions as well.

Thanks for all those Georgians who are adding to this thread. It helps.

Here's what happened on Saturday. My wife's condition GC expires next week, so we took the extension letter (we're very lucky our case was instantly transferred to the VSC). Driver's license was extended one year from Saturday's date.

This was @ the Sandy Springs DDS facility.

If anyone has a problem, you should ask for a supervisor. The DDS checks with the USCIS website, and can verify the letter. The letter IS dated and IS legal proof that the validity of one's GC has been extended. You need to find an employee with a brain......

Thanks Leland,

That is good to know - and yes, you're right, the trick is to find one with a brain, hehehe. One question, when was the actual expiry date for your wife's Driver's License? I notice they didn't renew it for a year based on when the green card expires (next week) but rather on the date that you applied, so it is actually for less than the year extension on the Green card.

I'm in the same boat too. My drivers license expires on Feb.8 and my green card expires on may 8,2008 but i'm going to renew my drivers license on Jan.22 lets see what's gonna happen ok! By the way guys, how can i apply for extension letter just incase my gc will not arrive early after applying for new one before the exp. date?

Any reply is highly appreciated! Good luck and hope&pray everything will be fine in our I-751.

Which extension letter are you asking about?

You should get a NOA for your I-751. This NOA extends the validity of your gc by another year.

Ty very much for the reply! I got it so NOA1 from I-751 is the extension letter.

Hey all-

I just want to share my experience with all fo you residing in the Atlanta area as to the renewal of the georgia drivers license.

My hubby and I now live in Georgia. and we applied for removal of conditions beggining of this month. I received my one-year extension letter (NOA) two weeks later and took that to the DMV with with my green card, expiring on the 30th of January 2008.
I don' have the I-551 stamp in my passport because I do not feel like making an Infopass with USCIS. Just took my drivers license, the extension letter and my green card to the DMV and paid 20 dollars for a one-year removal of the license.

If you have any questions, please feel free to ask

Good luck and God Bless!

Thanks Mimiye - that is exactly the type of information I was hoping to hear! I hope I will have as straightforward an experience when I go to renew mine with my extension letter (probably in April).

Hello all,

I need all the help I can get from you. I'm in deep trouble
My 2yr green card expired the same day as my driver's license Feb21, 08. I went to get my D/L renewed at the DMV on Feb22 but they needed proof of residency since both my green card and D/L expired. I explained to them at the DMV that I already filed for removal of conditions on Dec 16, 07 and that I received the biometrics appointment letter and did the biometrics. They told me I need to show them the approval letter. I still haven't received that! I understand it takes 5-6 months for the removal of conditions to be processed (formI-751), how am I supposed to drive in the meantime? Please help! What do I do? Any suggestions?! I'm usually good and on time at submitting my applications, but ever since my husband went to Iraq, I have not been the same. I also live and take care of his mentally retarded brother, and I'm just loosing my mind over this D/L renewal issue. I haven't heard from my husband in a week and I'm already going nuts! I don't know what I'm going to do. Please let me hear your suggestions, or if anyone knows someone in my shoes, please direct me to a solution to this mess.

Dec 16, 2007 - Filed for I-751 removal of condition at VSC
Jan 26, 2008 - Biometrics Appointment

Waiting for approval

did you take your Extension letter with you? you should have the INS extension letter already since you even took your bio. All they need to see is the extension letter. If they do not accept it at the DMV, then schedule an info pass, go to the INS and get a stamp into your passport-they will stamp it I-551. That will be accepted by the DMV. Then take your extension letter, your ID, perhaps your leasing agreement, your passport with the I-551 stamp, and your expired drivers license.

That hopefully works for you. I went 4 days before my drivers license and green card expired, and didnt have my passport with the INS stamp. just took the extension letter with me, but I understand that yours expired. good luck!

mimiye, thank you so much for your reply. I don't have an extension letter, only the biometrics appointment letter. I just scheduled an appointment through infopass to see what I can get from my local office. I was told by a representative from the USCIS customer service center (1-800-767-1833) to go to my local office and ask for a temporary evidence of residence. Once they give me that, I can then show it to the DMV! Hopefully that should take care of it.

Why does the DMV care when your Green Card expires?

A Green Card, conditional or otherwise, should be enough to remove all restrictions from your Driver's License.

The DMV cares because they -like other governmental agencies - have been indoctrinated about the 'evils' of illegal immigrants - and by law are now required to obtain proof of an applicant's legal immigrant status in the US. If the green card is expired, then, according to their logic, the legal status is also expired - unless the applicant has other documents (ie. the extension letter) stating otherwise.

The reason I originally proposed this question is that there were cases where the DMV did not recognize the extension letter as a valid USCIS document and were refusing to renew DL because they did not have acceptable proof of the immigrant's legal presence in the States. Baumdeor is not removing restrictions of her DL - she is renewing her whole Driver's License, and Georgia requires valid proof of legal immigrant status in order to do that. If she didn't receive her extension letter, she will need to get the stamp in her passport extending her permanent residency for a year in order to satisfy that State requirement to get her DL renewed.

(Just noticed that Baumdeor is not in Georgia - many other states now have the same restriction so I am assuming that is the difficulty she had where she lives).

The logic would make sense if the statement was true; however, it's not -- the legal status of a permanent resident does not expire when the green card expires.


Interesting. Do they require the same of citizens too?

Actually yes they do. They require proof of their US citizenship or their proof of legal US residency.

And yes, the green card status doesn't expire - but the DMV requires the physical proof that the status hasn't expired - and they have been notorious about not accepting something unless it is specifically listed on their list of acceptable documents - and the extension letter isn't listed. Thus, the problem - having proof that they accept.

YES, they(DMV of any state) require the same of a USA citizen, even those of us born here and living here all our life, it is called life after 9/11/2001 and the Patriot Act via REAL ID pushed by Dept of Homeland Security, Congress and Bush the almighty! So no, USA citizens do not get off easy either, I have to bring about 5 plus pieces of lega documents now when I renewed my driver license, sadly.

Not any state. At least NY and CA automatically renew your license - you only have to prove your status once.

I had no idea other states were so strict.

Well NY and CA better get ready cause there is this little known unheard of stealth law on the books now that Michael Chertoff and the Justice Department along with Bush and his merry men have pushed through in some law, which is the REAL ID act, sadly NY and CA will be forced to join it just like all the other states in order to issue a driver license that meets the supposed federal guidelines if you plan on using it for ID or travel outside your state and to punish states that balk at it, good ole Dept of Homeland Security will recommend to cut federal funds to those states among other little needles that have been given to them to stick states DMV enough times until they all comply in the coming future within about 5 years or sooner from what I have read and seen on news, what a mess this country has become since Bush!

There's nothing in the Real ID Act that says that license holders must prove their immigration status
every time they renew their licenses.

I agree with you that it's a horrible piece of legislation. The linking of State DMV databases is what
worries me the most.

By the way, California is known to be pro-Real-ID, whereas New York is anti-Real-ID.

To all applicants&members,

Thanks for your immediate help all the time. I sent my I-751 last feb. 8, 2008 to TSC thru post office w/ express mail paid less than 30 bucks and they got it last feb. 11 w/ signature of the receiver. They cash in our check last feb.21, hope i'll get my noa1 soon god is willing! Here's update about renewing my drivers lic. :

Hi to all! I just received my new drivers licensed expires on my bday year 2014. I went to florida dmv last jan.24 for renewal bec. my license will expire on feb.08. I showed them my sss card with married name,greencard that expires on may,08,08.I am expecting they will give me a new lic. till may bec. that's the date my greencard expires, I'll send my I-751 by feb. 08 but i'm surprised they gave me till 2014 w/out asking any extension letter. I thank God for this bec. i don't have to worry keep coming back to renew again w/in 6 yrs.

date posted Feb 2,200

[color="#FF0000"]Update for I-751:

Sent Package:02/08/2008
Received:02/11/08 @ TSC ( 5am )
Check cash in:02/21/08 @ tsc---now i keep checking our mailbox for NOA1( Crazy for keep checking )

I'm glad I found this topic because I am in the same situation. I am in Texas right now with an expired Nevada license. I tried to renew/reapply for a DL when I got here but they wouldn't not accept the NOA I received nor the biometrics letter, leaving me unable to drive. I was wondering, if I get an infopass appointment and I get the stamp, will they accept that (question to anyone who might know). Their list of accepted documents include "Resident Alien Card (I-551)" but I am not sure if they will honor a stamp on my foreign passport (after all, it's not a CARD). It would be really great if I can resolve this soon because Houston doesn't have the best public transport system. DMV frustrates me so much

Anyway, any info would be great!

Give it a try. I have heard rumours that Texas does not recognize the I-551 stamp just because it is not a card, but I don't know for sure. It really is ridiculous. Surely they can do a check like Social Security does on the A number to ensure it is valid and that would resolve problems all around. Good luck.

I ended up calling them today and they said they don't accept the I-551 (despite their website saying otherwise). I guess it's no driving for me until I actually receive the GC (which seems to be taking its time to get here).

Thats just crazy.

All states should take the NOA or stamp.

Hi, me and my daughter just renewed our license at the Nevada DMV. It went like a breeze! My daughter didn't even have a formal NOA since she was under my I-751, they only sent her a plain paper letter saying that her green card is extended for a year and it wasn't even signed! Since you have a Nevada license, maybe it would be simpler to take a trip to Vegas and renew it there.

My son never received any letter. I just received the NOA for our joint petition.

I called the Vermont center and the man told me that only one petition goes out on a joint form. I am going to get his passport stamped when we go for bio's.

I was steaming angry when I local DMV office refused to renew my wife's DL with an expired green card and a one year extension letter, came home and called our governors offices. Connected me to the head of the DMV and was transferred to our states single immigration representative. After a week of sending him faxes and him learning about how slow the USCIS is, that we have complied with every USCIS rule, he got back to the head of the DMV and she in turn contacted our local DMV office where we went in, paid the thirty bucks and she got her license renewed for the full eight years.

At first they said they would only renew it until her one year extension was expired, I vehemently objected to that, have a pretty strong voice when I need it. Three years before that, all they required was my wife's and daughter's passport for ID and that work only SS card, they have become much stricter since then. Then they would only issue a three year probationary license. Last week, our daughter went in to renew her license, must have recognized the last name, never even asked her to show her green card, just issued her the full eight year license.

This is one time the squeaky wheel got the grease, and I was extra squeaky on this issue. We are in Wisconsin, feds ain't doing nothing about the illegals, so the states are trying, but don't know a damned thing about immigration.

Yeah, I'm going back to Nevada at the end of summer to get my licensed renewed. I did call the DMV office there (in Carson City, the ones in Las Vegas don't take calls) and according to the man there, his supervisor stated that if I go to their office (in Carson City), they'd take the NOA. He didn't guarantee that Las Vegas would do the same thing but he also did say that he didn't see any problems with just using an NOA. Thank goodness Las Vegas is REASONABLE about this.

What a hassle all of this is! We're so lucky that the DMV here in Mass. gave my husband a five-year DL with only the NOA1 from his I-485!