DMV: Names and 666

I went to the DMV today. I needed to do 2 things: change my name and get new license plates.

In order to change my name, I had to prove who I was, who I am, and who I want to be again. I had my birth certificate, my social security card, my current license, my marriage license, and my library card. Among all the silly things I had to bring, one was my divorce decree wherein my ex-husband and the judge had to sign off on my request to get MY name back. The lady behind the counter actually denied someone's change request earlier because her decree didn't specifically allow her to change her name. Her birth certificate and 50-odd years of proof of her name weren't enough... she had to be given her own name back by a judge and the man to whom she was no longer married.


A fellow paralegal and I were talking today about her legal, full, given-at-birth first name (Beverly) and her legal ID name (Bev). Nothing special was needed, and yet she can use a nickname on her ID and her mortgage, etc. The woman I saw at the DMV today had everything but the permission of two people who had no vested interest in her... and because of that, she wasn't allowed to make the decision to use her given/birth name.

What about that is fair?

The other thing I did at the DMV was get new license plates. 666 is a big number in my life and it has nothing to do with religion or a lack thereof. It is a simply a lucky number for me and prevalent in a lot of aspects in my life. All of that being explained, I bought a new car last year and my license plates were personalized to include the number 666. They were approved because I could give a reasonable and non-offensive meaning that applied to me and my life.

Unfortunately, not everyone is so understanding. I have been pulled over a few times and warned to change the plates or face problems. Most "civilians" have been OK, but they still didn't like it. After months of this, I finally decided I had enough.

As I filled out the papers to get new plates, I resigned myself that personalized plates weren't on the menu this time; I had to pay about $100 bucks last time and I wasn't doing it again. The guy hands me the registration to sign and laughs as he pulls my new plates from the STANDARD ISSUE stack of plates in his drawer... the first three digits are 666.

Personalizing with that number had people up in arms. Standard issue, however, are acceptable?

We're going to find out... and what about that system is fair?