State Driver Services Reminds Voters: Prepare Now to Vote!

Visit Department of Driver Services (DDS) Early for Photo ID 

To ensure a smooth process when casting a ballot on November 8th, now is the time to ensure you have proper photo identification.

“Don’t wait until Election Day to realize your driver’s license or identification card is missing,” said DDS Commissioner Bert Brantley.  “Tuesdays are always the busiest days at our DDS centers.  Add to that the extra customers who need photo IDs before the polls close, and that is a recipe for significant wait times.”

DDS is planning on deploying additional staff to its busiest centers on Election Day to assist customers as quickly as possible. However, there is no reason to wait until that day. Replacing a lost license, changing an address and checking the best times to visit in person can all be done on the DDS Online Services webpage https://online.dds.ga.gov/onlineservices/ or from the homepage at www.dds.ga.gov.  If you must visit in person, please use the Skip A Step! DDS Online feature to complete and submit your required paperwork before you arrive.  It will save valuable time during your visit.

Poll workers will accept a valid or an expired Georgia driver’s license or State Identification Card  (provided it’s expired no more than one year).  They also will accept the DDS Interim (temporary) license and/or ID which is issued at the center before the laminated card is mailed to you.

However, DDS urges everyone to keep their driver’s license and/or ID Card valid and current – including making any changes to a name or address as soon as possible. For voters who don’t drive or have any other type of acceptable photo identification, DDS can issue a Voter Identification Card for Voting Purposes.  Customers apply in person at any DDS location and present documentation to prove identity, residency and proof of voter registration.

For a list of other acceptable voter identification visit the Secretary of State MyVoter Page (MVP) to review voter requirements, verify that you are a registered voter, locate your assigned polling place and more at www.sos.ga.gov.

For complete driver licensing and testing information, including the online service Skip a Step! please visit the DDS website at www.dds.ga.gov.

Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) Commissioner Rob Mikell, under the direction of Governor Nathan Deal, is providing a new emergency preparedness initiative for customers obtaining a driver’s license or state identification card.  Customers may request that their blood type be printed on the back of their permanent card. This addition is completely optional and may help medical personnel during an emergency. (Sample Attached)

“In an emergency situation, medical personnel need up-to-date health information to quickly and efficiently treat injuries,” said Governor Deal. “To better assist these first responders, our Department of Driver Services is now giving Georgians the option to include their blood type on their license or identification cards. This is yet another example of our continued commitment to the safety and well-being of our state’s drivers.”

“I am grateful for the support of Governor Deal and the partnership with Dr. Brenda Fitzgerald, Commissioner, Department of Public Health (DPH), to inform our customers of this new option,” said Commissioner Mikell.  “It is completely optional but may serve as an important medical alert for those that utilize it.”

“Every second matters in an emergency,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “If a person becomes incapacitated and cannot speak, it’s our hope that this information could speak for them, alerting rescuers to the person’s blood type and saving precious time.”

On the application for issuance or renewal of a driver’s license or ID card, customers will indicate if they would like their blood type printed on the back of their permanent card. A customer who indicates yes will then select their blood type.   The customer’s permanent license or ID will have their blood type printed on the back of the card under Medical Information.

For complete driver education, licensing and testing information including many online services, visit www.dds.ga.gov.

Georgia’s Department of Driver Services (DDS) Commissioner Rob Mikell recently announced a new online service for Georgia drivers needing to reinstate a driver’s license.  The new service enables customers to check their driving reinstatement eligibility, view, print or email a list of their specific reinstatement requirements, pay fees and reinstate driving privileges online – all without a physical visit or telephone call to DDS.

“A high priority has been to improve the license reinstatement process which is the most time consuming transaction for our DDS team members and customers,” Commissioner Mikell commented.  “Not only will this online service save time for many who need to reinstate a license, but it should directly impact our service levels at all customer service centers,” he added.

To access the new online reinstatement services, a customer must:

• Have a Georgia driver’s license that is suspended, revoked or cancelled
• Know their Georgia driver’s license number
• Have (or create) a DDS online services account to access their personal suspension information

Each year DDS processes over 200,000 license reinstatements at customer service centers statewide.  The DDS customer contact center handles over six hundred thousand reinstatement calls annually.  Allowing reinstatement customers to handle their services online should directly improve the wait times at customer service centers statewide.

Many customers visit a customer service center to simply obtain a list of requirements needed to reinstate their driving privileges.  Once the requirements are fulfilled, customers would return to the DDS for reinstatement. The detailed information now available online includes personalized reinstatement information such as any citation number(s) and court information associated with the customer. The requirements may be printed or emailed for reference, and any fees may be immediately paid online.  In addition, automatic reinstatement of the driver’s privileges occurs when all requirements are met.

In certain situations, customers may automatically request that a new driver’s license or replacement license be directly mailed to them.  Those ineligible to request a replacement license online, may still pay all fees and reinstate driving privileges online.

To access the new reinstatement services, visit the DDS website at www.dds.ga.gov or at https://online.dds.ga.gov/onlineservices/account/login.aspx .