Seen in the AJC:
In an effort to comply with state and federal laws, the [Georgia] Driver Services Department has been checking its database against the records at the Social Security Administration. If the name on your license does not match the name on your Social Security card, the state will move to cancel your license.
That could happen for a variety of reasons. For example, if a newlywed changes her Social Security information but not the name on her license, her information could be flagged by the state. Likewise for divorces.[...]
While shopping for a better insurance rate this month, Taylor learned that her license had been canceled in 2005.
“I was so angry,” said Taylor, a stay-at-home mother who said she was cooped up in her house for five days trying to get her license back. “I called a clerk and she said the letter had been sent to the wrong address. I began e-mailing my friends and found about 15 women who went through the same thing. I just wonder how many people are affected by this.”
You’d think that if as a society we’re going to be hung up on identity and cross-checking databases with some form of identity credentials, that things like name changes could be a bit more automagical. It’s not like marriage and divorce are that uncommon these days.
Of course, you’d also think that folks would be aware of the bureaucratic hoops you have to go through when changing your name as a result in changing marital status. My wife, for example, followed a checklist included in some wedding planning materials, once she decided on whether she’d take my last name or go the hyphenated name route.