The Drivers License Experience

When we first got to town, we spent some time looking for the DMV office. You have to realize, Benton is only 27,000 people so it’s pretty small. The city itself is only several blocks long but we couldn’t find the DMV! Several days later, at Wal-Mart, we cornered a cop and got directions. We didn’t actually write down the directions, but we had a pretty good idea of where he was talking about (remember, the town is very small) and we figured we would find it easy enough.

After shopping, we went looking again. We found the building where we thought he told us to look, but it was locked up tighter than a drum – with no hours listed anywhere on the building and no signage. We went back on Saturday – still closed.

On the following Monday, Jack swung by the place to find out what we would need to bring in as proof of identification. The building was open this time, but it was the wrong place. Jack was directed to go down a block and around the corner to a very non-descript building - the county “Annex” building. There he was directed to the Revenue office (no DMV here). Once there, he was told that he needed his birth certificate or a pass port as well as his license. To transfer the car, he would need the title, proof of insurance and registration.

We went back with all the guns loaded – we had every piece of paper they requested – plus some. The clerk asked Jack for his birth certificate and then turned to me and said I would need my birth certificate and my marriage license. And, if I had been married multiple times, I would need copies of all the licenses so that I could prove I was the same person as on the birth certificate – they needed to see the name change progression… I didn’t have that piece of paper! I was pulling all the rest of the paperwork out of my purse and my passport fell out – she laughed and said never mind, a pass port was perfect! Whew!!! Saved by my pass port!! But, she didn’t want to do anything with us yet, we had to get our car accessed first. I want to point out that at no time were we asked to take a written test to change over our drivers licenses.

Ok, now it was getting fun. Everything in Arkansas has to be assessed for taxes before you can get the permits. We were told to go to the Assessors office. Fortunately that was right down at the other end of the hall. At the Assessors office we were told that we wouldn’t have to pay anything for this year and we would need to remember to file an assessment in January for 2009. They don’t send reminders; this is just something you have to remember to do! We will be assessed in 2009 but we don’t pay the assessment until 2010. The statement for the assessment will come in March; but we don’t pay anything until October. So, by the time we start paying our assessments on the car, we will have lived here for almost two years! By then, we will be living in a new county and it will start all over again!

Ok, we now had this slip of paper that said our assessment for 2008 was $0. But, before we could return to the Revenue office for the plate, we had to get our piece of paper stamped at the Collectors office so everyone knew we didn’t owe anything. Fortunately again, the Collectors office was in the same building; at the other end of the hall. We got our paper stamped and headed back to the Revenue Office.

We got a new clerk at the Revenue office, so we had to pull all the paperwork out again. Now, we had all the right papers for the car; the process went quickly. I had everything for my driver’s license, that went quickly too. Now it was Jack’s turn. Someone in Arkansas has the same initials and birthday as Jack. Another whole process took place to make sure it was not our Jack. We finally got to pay our $71.60 and moved over to the camera. In less than 2 minutes, we had Arkansas driver’s licenses in our hands and we were officially Arkansas ( pronounced Ark- kansions) residents. We were directed to go next to the Chamber of Commerce (a different building – around the corner and down the street) where we were loaded down with books and brochures on everything you would want to know about Benton and the surrounding area. Most importantly, we got a phone book! We’re set now!!!