Is It Legal To Have Two Driver’s Licenses From Two Different States?

We won’t consider a non-shady reason to have multiple driver’s licenses from different states, apart from the occasional confused snowbird who mistakenly believes they’re speculated to maintain licenses concurrently in Florida and the opposite state they live in the remaining of the 12 months. Alternatively, there have been drivers who used to amass multiple licenses to spread around traffic violations and points to avoid raising their insurance premiums. We predict an easier solution would have been to stop speeding. But what can we know?

In fact, not everyone who wonders in regards to the legality of getting driver’s licenses from different states is attempting to break the law. Just like the aforementioned snowbirds, some move forwards and backwards between two different states and just need to know what the law requires of them. Nonetheless, many prior to now accrued licenses from different states to commit offenses like identity fraud or to evade legal trouble. It could seem to be a tempting option to avoid high taxes and automobile registration fees in a single’s own state by claiming residency in one other (some are avoiding high automobile registration and taxes by forming an LLC in Montana). And picture if someone were capable of get around a license suspension from multiple DUIs simply by utilizing a license they’re holding from one other state.

It’s no wonder, then, that states have laws against holding a couple of driver’s license. And now, with shared databases, states have the means to ascertain with other states before they issue you a driver’s license. The federal government has stepped in as well with the REAL ID act, which specifically prevents compliant states from issuing a driver’s license to someone who already has one in one other state.

Gone are the times of pulling a quick one and getting a driver’s license in a single state while keeping one in one other. That is because, identical to your exes, the states discuss with one another, and sometimes it’s about you. No state within the Union will issue you a driver’s license in the event that they know you’ve gotten one in one other state, unless you give up that license.

For instance, Washington law says you “may not have a couple of valid driver’s license at any time.” Pennsylvania is pretty explicit, as its law states that, “Nobody shall be permitted to have a couple of valid driver’s license issued by this or another state at any time.” California’s Vehicle Code clearly states that, “An individual shall not have of their possession … a couple of driver’s license.” Similarly, Georgia state law strictly prohibits “a couple of valid driver’s license at any time.” West Virginia requires drivers to give up any licenses issued by other states before they’ll get a WV license. Texas won’t only refuse to issue a license to someone who already has one, nevertheless it won’t issue an ID card either. The Lone Star State means that you can have either a license or an ID card, but not each.

Penalties for having a couple of driver’s license might be pretty strict as well, including suspension of your license and stiff fees. For example, in Florida, possession of two driver’s licenses is a first-degree misdemeanor. In line with Florida Statute 775.083(d), misdemeanors in the primary degree are punishable by fines as much as $1,000. That ought to make anyone think twice about attempting to have licenses in multiple states.

Sooner or later, Big Brother decided it wasn’t easy enough to maintain track of us all, so the REAL ID Act was passed in 2005. Principally, the brand new law stated that regular old driver’s licenses would now not be ok to function identification for air travel or accessing certain federal facilities. Latest licenses and IDs compliant with the act would have to be issued. 

Originally, the date to start out enforcing this law was set for 2008. But, for this law to work, it needed the cooperation of individual states, since states issue IDs and drivers licenses, not the federal government. It took time for states to sign on and to be compliant, in order that enforcement date kept being delayed. It only took 2 a long time for REAL ID to change into enforceable, but all 50 states finally signed on and have become compliant, with the firm enforcement date set for May 7, 2025. Since then, a REAL ID compliant license or ID is required to board a plane (bad news for sovereign residents, who don’t even think you wish a license to drive).

What does all of this need to do with whether you may have licenses from different states? Well, so as to be compliant with the REAL ID law, states must refuse to issue a driver’s license to anyone who already has a license in one other state, unless that person surrenders that license or terminates it. Okay, so just don’t tell the DMV clerk that you’ve gotten a license in one other state, right? Like we said, states talk. They share information and can often know immediately if you happen to have already got a license in one other state. In other words, you are not getting a second license in one other state, not less than not legally.