I-Team: Drivers With New Passports Face Problems Trying To Renew Licenses

WATERTOWN (CBS) - If you are planning a trip to the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles for a new REAL ID, or even if you just want a standard license, you might want to double check your documentation before you wait in one of those famously irksome lines.

It's something Ned Stanton of Sudbury wishes he knew ahead of time. "Nobody likes going to the registry; it's always time consuming and frustrating," he said.

Stanton thought he would dodge some of the hassle by going to his local AAA office to renew his license. He was sure he had all the proper documents, including his newly issued passport as proof of living in the US legally. But the folks at AAA had bad news for him. "There's a problem with some passports," Stanton said recalling what the clerk said to him. "She said there was nothing they could do for me."

With his license set to expire in a matter of days, Stanton made a trip to the RMV office in Watertown. After a four-hour wait, he still had no permanent license, but at least left with a 60-day temporary license to buy him some time. "I made sure I had the necessary documents. They just didn't work," he said.

When we contacted the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles, a spokesperson blamed the federal system that verifies passports. The spokesperson also told us the best way to avoid any complications is to make sure you have a certified copy of your US birth certificate. The spokesperson said the issue seems to be isolated to passports issued within the last six months.

For Stanton, it means another trip to the registry. "It's very frustrating," he said. "It just isn't right where we are put in a position that it takes as long as it does to get a document that they want us to have."

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