Officials make drivers license renewal reminder

The Kansas Department of Revenue is reminding Kansas residents who are preparing to renew their driver's licenses of a relatively new state and federal requirement that requires motorists to provide proof of identity, proof of Kansas residency, and a valid Social Security number or other proof of lawful presence in the United States.

Unless these documents are presented at time of renewal, the applicant will be turned away, a KDOR statement said.

KDOR Director of Vehicles Carmen Alldritt said that about 11 percent of first-time drivers, drivers who are renewing their licenses, and drivers who are obtaining replacement licenses, fail to arrive at local driver's license offices with the required documents.

"Some of these drivers, especially in western Kansas, have come a long distance to get their license renewed, only to find out they have to go home and get a utility bill, or something that provides their given address is in fact their Kansas residence," Alldritt said.

Proof of identity would include a state-issued birth certificate, passport, and a marriage license if the person's name has changed. For foreign visitors, documentation proving lawful presence is required. Proof of Kansas residency could be the renewal card that is received in the mail, providing it shows the "principal residence" address and not just a mailing address such as a post office box, the KDOR statement said.

Additional documents that will prove Kansas residency include utility bills, vehicle registrations, payroll stubs, and Kansas school records. Kansas verifies Social Security numbers with the Social Security Administration.

Additionally, applicants must appear at the driver's license office in person, pass a vision examination and a written examination, pay the applicable fee, provide a signature, and have a new photograph captured.