4 ms·

It doesn't really matter. If you are not recognizable, it's not valid. That is the whole point of a photo-ID the photo has to be a good likeness with you. Glad

by Moru 2y ago

It doesn't really matter. If you are not recognizable, it's not valid. That is the whole point of a photo-ID the photo has to be a good likeness with you. Glad the GP met friendly people that let him get away with it but don't count on it working for ever :-)

ygra 2y ago
The driver's license is not an ID, though. Besides, at least in Germany you get it and then it never changes. So the photo is pretty much always outdated.
- MobiusHorizons 2y ago
  It is definitely an ID in some countries (notably the US, where it is by far the most common).
- lazide 2y ago
  In most US states, your drivers license is the only photo ID most people have.
  - philsnow 2y ago
    I was going to make a quip about how that's because, compared to Europe, almost nobody in the States has bothered to get a passport.. but apparently the percentage of Statesians who have passports has skyrocketed in the last 35 years from ~3% to 51%: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Z9qF8/6/ https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Z9qF8/6/
    - generj 2y ago
      For any US Citizens renewing a US passport: if you want a national ID that fits in your wallet, you can pay $30 and get a passport card. They are a no brainer upgrade to a passport application or renewal IMHO. Cost is a bit higher due to a $35 application fee if you are getting them separate from a passport book but I think they are still worth it. They can be used for land and sea entry to the US. They serve as ID on domestic flights and for I9 employment verification. Many countries technically require you to always travel with national ID or require it for traveling on trains (since they have national IDs, unlike the US). But passports are bulky and American travelers have been taught to leave them in safes or buried in bags where they are hard to steal. A passport card can be kept on hand 24/7 in case a national ID is needed. In the event you lose your actual passport after traveling abroad, they would save a ton of time at the embassy since you have a form of passport already on you. Compare this to the panicked alternative of trying to get a replacement with a photocopy of your passport (which standard travel advice says you should have for this reason) and somehow getting a birth certificate.
      - tga_d 2y ago
        Yep, also extremely helpful if you need to submit a passport for processing (e.g., visa applications) when you're soon to be/are already abroad.
- curmudgeon22 2y ago
  Very much an id in Canada too.
- yencabulator 2y ago
  My European driver's license expires in 2046, but the fine print says if my appearance substantially changes, or the police requires it, I must get a new one.
- gsich 2y ago
  It acts as an ID in most cases.
- Moru 2y ago
  Germany is doing away with the eternal drivers licenses in stages. Better look that up before you loose yours. Wifes license runs out in January next year, eep.
  - bragr 2y ago
    >Wifes license runs out in January next year, eep Genuinely asking, how does that qualify as "eep"? Is renewing onerous or expensive in Germany? I ask because in the US, renewing a license is usually cheap and done quickly online, except for about once a decade, they require a new photo (which itself doesn't take too long with an appointment).
    - Moru 2y ago
      It was totally forgotten. I thought it was done already but we forgot to order it so thanks for the reminder :-) We don't live in Germany so she has to get a swedish one now anyway. Yes, it's been online since as long as I can remember. 25-ish years probably.
- dkga 2y ago
  It is in some countries
eloisant 2y ago
Most photo id are valid for 10 years. Your appearance can change in 10 years.

by Moru 2y ago

ygra 2y ago

The driver's license is not an ID, though. Besides, at least in Germany you get it and then it never changes. So the photo is pretty much always outdated.

MobiusHorizons 2y ago
It is definitely an ID in some countries (notably the US, where it is by far the most common).
lazide 2y ago
In most US states, your drivers license is the only photo ID most people have.
- philsnow 2y ago
  I was going to make a quip about how that's because, compared to Europe, almost nobody in the States has bothered to get a passport.. but apparently the percentage of Statesians who have passports has skyrocketed in the last 35 years from ~3% to 51%: https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Z9qF8/6/ https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/Z9qF8/6/
  - generj 2y ago
    For any US Citizens renewing a US passport: if you want a national ID that fits in your wallet, you can pay $30 and get a passport card. They are a no brainer upgrade to a passport application or renewal IMHO. Cost is a bit higher due to a $35 application fee if you are getting them separate from a passport book but I think they are still worth it. They can be used for land and sea entry to the US. They serve as ID on domestic flights and for I9 employment verification. Many countries technically require you to always travel with national ID or require it for traveling on trains (since they have national IDs, unlike the US). But passports are bulky and American travelers have been taught to leave them in safes or buried in bags where they are hard to steal. A passport card can be kept on hand 24/7 in case a national ID is needed. In the event you lose your actual passport after traveling abroad, they would save a ton of time at the embassy since you have a form of passport already on you. Compare this to the panicked alternative of trying to get a replacement with a photocopy of your passport (which standard travel advice says you should have for this reason) and somehow getting a birth certificate.
    - tga_d 2y ago
      Yep, also extremely helpful if you need to submit a passport for processing (e.g., visa applications) when you're soon to be/are already abroad.
curmudgeon22 2y ago
Very much an id in Canada too.
yencabulator 2y ago
My European driver's license expires in 2046, but the fine print says if my appearance substantially changes, or the police requires it, I must get a new one.
gsich 2y ago
It acts as an ID in most cases.
Moru 2y ago
Germany is doing away with the eternal drivers licenses in stages. Better look that up before you loose yours. Wifes license runs out in January next year, eep.
- bragr 2y ago
  >Wifes license runs out in January next year, eep Genuinely asking, how does that qualify as "eep"? Is renewing onerous or expensive in Germany? I ask because in the US, renewing a license is usually cheap and done quickly online, except for about once a decade, they require a new photo (which itself doesn't take too long with an appointment).
  - Moru 2y ago
    It was totally forgotten. I thought it was done already but we forgot to order it so thanks for the reminder :-) We don't live in Germany so she has to get a swedish one now anyway. Yes, it's been online since as long as I can remember. 25-ish years probably.
dkga 2y ago
It is in some countries

eloisant 2y ago

Most photo id are valid for 10 years. Your appearance can change in 10 years.