A WOMAN has been denied a driver’s license because she couldn’t hand over a document she was never given in the first place.
Janette Gantt Palmer is facing a lengthy battle under the newly imposed restrictions to get a REAL ID.
Palmer, who lives in Miami, Florida, was born at home in Aiken County, South Carolina, just over fifty miles from Columbia, in February 1949.
During that era, Jim Crow laws and segregation posed challenges for Black individuals seeking medical care at certain hospitals, preventing Palmer from receiving an official birth certificate.
Despite being an American and retiring from the United States Postal Service, Palmer is just now facing issues getting her driver’s license renewed.
The issue arises because she needs to obtain a REAL ID due to new federal regulations, which require drivers to present numerous documents at the DMV.
Palmer recounted the stressful moment she realized she wouldn’t be coming home with her new license.
“After waiting two hours in the line, I said, ‘I’d like to renew my driver’s license,'” she told CBS local affiliate WFOR-TV.
“Oh no, you need this and you need that.’ For what, what reason? I never had it before.”
To meet the REAL ID requirements, she needs either a birth certificate or a passport, but she has neither.
And without one, she can’t get the other.
Palmer said she has tried many times over the years to get a birth certificate, but has always hit dead ends.
“Back in those days, we were born at home,” she said.
“The lady came to your house and helped your mom have the baby.”
Despite never having a birth certificate, she built a life, and career.
She worked for the USPS for 42 years and drove school buses, using her postal worker ID to get a driver’s license in the past.
She also has an official letter from South Carolina confirming there’s no record of her birth on file.
Applying for a REAL ID
The process varies by state, but residents will need a few documents to apply for a REAL ID before the deadline.
Regardless of the state, you can begin the application process online by scanning and uploading essential documents, personal details, and Social Security numbers. After submission and review, you must visit the DMV or your state’s department agency in person so an attendant can confirm the documents.
From there, a thumbprint will be recorded in the system, and a photo will be issued for the ID before it’s mailed.
The documents needed are those that show:
- Full legal name (previous driver’s license, passport, etc)
- Date of birth (like a birth certificate, or an official copy of one)
- Social Security number (Social Security card)
- Two proofs of residence (like a utility bill or voter registration card)
- Lawful status
Source: Department of Homeland Security
The South Carolina Department of Public Health won’t speak on specific cases, but told The U.S. Sun they do help people born at home in South Carolina get a delayed birth certificate, as long as they can hand over three old documents proving their name, birthdate, birthplace and parentage.
The Aiken County Office of Vital Statistics said a delayed birth certificate is possible, but it won’t be quick.
She would need to gather school records from the 1950s or get a judge’s order in court to prove she exists on paper.
FIGHT FOR CHANGE
Palmer’s niece, Florida State Representative Ashley Gantt, is stepping in to help.
She got her aunt 90-day extension and plans to contact lawmakers in South Carolina to move things along.
Palmer is also working with US Congressman Mario Diaz-Balart’s office to see if a passport is still possible.
But with Real ID enforcement looming, she says she simply needs to be able to drive.
“I don’t know how, but I need my driver’s license, I know that much,” Palmer said.
The Real ID program starts May 7 after years of delays and extensions.
It was passed by Congress in 2005 to improve security and prevent terrorism.
Starting tomorrow, Americans will need a REAL ID-compliant license to fly domestically or enter certain federal buildings.
To get one, you need proof of your full legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, two documents showing your current address, and proof of lawful status.
A standard, non-REAL ID driver’s license won’t cut it anymore, and without another valid ID, you won’t be allowed past TSA.
TSA said enforcement will roll out in phases, but didn’t give specifics.
