David O’Connor is a Navy veteran who worked as a commercial truck driver for many years. He holds a standard driver’s license and a commercial driver’s license in New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, and for the past eight years he has held a standard driver’s license in Tennessee. But when he went to renew his driver’s license and obtain a REAL ID, Tennessee Driver Services officials not only refused to issue a REAL ID but also canceled his existing license, citing state law prohibiting the issuance of driver’s licenses to non-citizens. O’Connor was a U.S. citizen from birth: his Navy discharge proved so, and he received Social Security. The problem is that O’Connor was born in Canada, where his parents (both U.S. citizens) were temporarily living. When Driver Services staff saw his birth certificate, they assumed he was Canadian and refused to believe otherwise; their only suggestion was that he apply for citizenship.
The post Brickbat: Driving Me Crazy appeared first on Reason.com.
