ATLANTA – People seeking a new or renewed driver’s license who don’t have a birth certificate or passport won’t be able to Saturday, state officials announced.
That’s because federal technicians are conducting computer maintenance then on a database needed to verify citizenship.
The Georgia Department of Driver Services asked the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to schedule the repairs after the state agency closes at noon but was told that the timeline couldn’t change, according to DDS spokeswoman Susan Sports.
The Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements, or SAVE, system taps into multiple record sources to document U.S. citizenship or lawful status of non-citizens.
People getting their first license or renewing must prove their citizenship or immigration status. A certified birth certificate or valid passport works, and the DDS offices will process them Saturday. And drivers whose license already bears the REAL ID seal will not be impacted.
The DDS offices will still be open for other services such as giving tests for learner’s permits, conducting road tests for new drivers, issuing applications for motorcycle licenses and processing change-of-address forms, among others. DDS offices are closed on Mondays. While the agency expects the SAVE system will be running Tuesday, it warns that wait times are usually long on what is typically a busy day.
