Does your driver’s license look like you?  

By Marci Shatzman

Do you still look like the picture on your Florida driver’s license? I didn’t anymore.

The photo was at least 10 years old, when I was still dying my hair brown with blonde highlights. I’ve had white hair for seven years and avoiding Covid had nothing to do with it. I just wanted to save a pile of money and the time it took to dye it.

I’m sure the state thought they were doing us all a favor when they used the same photo they had for years, and didn’t require a new license until 2028.  And nobody minds looking younger than they are. But I’m 77 now, and the only thing still recognizable on my license photo was my smile.

So, I kept the license as is, but then two things happened that changed my mind.

I tried to update an online account that required me to take a selfie and an image of my driver’s license. The answer was something similar to phishing, faking who you are online. That company refused to believe the new me was me.

And worse-case scenario, the next time I traveled, my first trip after Covid, I would probably be stopped and pulled aside at the airport for impersonating me. Who wants to risk that?

So, I made an appointment to replace my driver’s license at the Palm Beach County Tax Collector’s facility on Congress Avenue in Delray Beach. You can’t just show up. You have to make an appointment and you can do that online at this link:  

My appointment was less than a week later, and I only had to wait about 20 minutes longer. 

When my number was called, I told the customer service rep I wanted to replace my license. He had me pose against a portable white screen at his station for the photo, and I handed him my old license. I got both back. The whole process took minutes and cost $38.10.

Best photo I ever took and money I ever spent.

And hey, if you’re preparing for your Ontario G1 driving test, you can find valuable resources and practice exams on https://www.drivingtest.ca/ontario-g1-driving-test/.