Are there any cons to having en femme photo on my drivers license?

[LitaKelley]

for some time prior to this I had the goal of going full time living and presenting as female beginning Jan 1st, however, it didn't work out that way due to nasty weather and too many things that kept coming up that got in the way, making it just inconvenient to do daily tasks en femme... Seems nearly impossible to be 24/7 with all this damn snow, lol..

Anyway, one of the major things I wanted to do was have my en femme photo on my drivers license, which is up for renewal and must be done within the next 7 days.

I have no concerns with "being out" to strangers if and when the occasion arises for them to see my id. In the last 5 years, I've only been pulled over 3 times, 1 of them en femme. Other than that, the only time asked for id is when at a club, bank related or when using my debit card or credit card.

I have not been "carded" for buying beer in stores in I don't know how long, however, the few times I attempted to buy beer while dressed, I was carded every time, and I become VERY uncomfortable and did not want to show my id, because of my male photo, so, neglected to show it and just walked out... I avoided cashing checks while en femme for this reason as well, until getting an account at the credit union, cause then I would just show my membership card, but then I was asked for it to use my debit or credit card, and again, I declined to show it, and had to not buy the items...(my cards are deliberately unsigned so that they have to ask for id.. it's a security precaution)....

On the other side, I would have no issue whatsoever showing my drivers license with an en femme photo on it while in drab to whomever, but when en femme, i just can not show it to anyone if it has drab photo on it and I'm anticipating being full time anyway.. just not prepared for doing it in all this snow, lol.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble.. just wanted to give you the details before asking my question.

What, if any, are the cons of having my en femme photo on my drivers license.

Next question, can the DMV clerk refuse to issue me a new photograph because I'm wearing a wig and makeup? My drivers license says blonde, so I plan on wearing a blonde wig, just to avoid that from being an excuse.. I am debating on whether or not if I should skip makeup, so maybe my photo could be .. I don't know... half and half..

IF the DMV refuses, what should I do?

[Vickie_CDTV]

Having an androgynous picture might be a better idea, so you can use it regardless of how you are dressed.

[Allyson Michelle]

so sex still says M but you are clearly a F in the picture? That's a fake ID blame game waiting to happen. yeah I'll say its best to go with an androgynous look. No makeup but still similar to your feminine self. if DMV refuses to do it, you may need to get the M changed to F which is easier said than done. Ive not done it, but most states require full SRS in order to do so.

[Sophie_C]

Well, I think the DMV won't refuse if that is how you insist you dress like and as long as your wig is good (I can't tell from the photo, some are more obvious than others). The catch though, is how often you are dressed. You know there will be a situation that will arise, some time, where you will need an ID, you won't be dressed, they won't believe you and that will become a pain in the butt. That's really the biggest con to the whole thing.

[Rogina B]

Too bad you can't just get a State ID card with your girl pic and boy info on it..The last pic taken stays in the DMV file so that is the pic that the officer[s] see when they pull you over..You want to be,but certainly aren't full time so 2 forms of ID may be best FOR NOW.Change it later.

[Jorja]

If your state allows it and that is the way you want to appear, go for it.

[TxKimberly]

Too bad you can't just get a State ID card with your girl pic and boy info on it..The last pic taken stays in the DMV file so that is the pic that the officer[s] see when they pull you over..You want to be,but certainly aren't full time so 2 forms of ID may be best FOR NOW.Change it later.

Some states, including Texas where I live, DO allow you to have both - a drivers license and a state ID. My drivers license is 100% male and my state ID has all of my real and legal data on it but has my female picture. In Texas at least, the ID's are completely separate and do NOT share the same photo so there is no risk of my male drivers license showing up with a female photo on it when it is renewed. It has in fact BEEN renewed since I have had my ID and there were no issues there.

Oh, the perk or purpose of having the ID is peace of mind. I don't need to worry about someone refusing to accept my ID because it does not match my appearance. That had never happened to me, but I have heard of it happening to others at clubs and the like, more than likely as a method of keeping "people like us" out.

[danielle.cd]

why dont you just get a crossdresser id , somebody on here makes them ask around it has all your benificial info on it so it should work , i know ive seen the pic of one i just dont remeber who it was that did this

[Kate Simmons]

Just legal issues perhaps.

[KateSpade83]

It's not the end of the world when you show your male id when your in drag; I did and I said I was in drag / that's me. Not a big issue. Get over it.

[Rhonda Jean]

I did it and posted something about it at the time. It was a mistake for me, and I was lucky to be able to change it. I wasn't wearing breast forms, but I was otherwise fem. I was wearing a v-neck top, light makeup, hoop earrings that are fairly heavy (probably a little under 1-1/2"). I don't wear a wig, but I had heavy highlights at the time and I'd flat ironed my hair and flipped it under.

There was no problem at all getting it done. No questions or comments. She just did mine like she did everyone elses. She even took several photos and let me choose the best one. I was very pleased with the photo from a fem standpoint, but had a little of "what the hell have I done" going on, too. The photo was pretty much like my avatar. Because of the heavy highlights around my face, my hair looked completely blonde, the makeup that I thought was subtle was obvious, and my earrings looked even larger in the picture. It was unmistakably a fem photo. More fem that I'd imagined it would be.

At first I was very proud of myself. it was kind of a milestone, and I loved to see the reactions when I was asked for ID when in male mode. The longer I had it the more paranoid I became. I was afraid of being pulled over in my small town. There were a couple of situations when I was asked for ID that I claimed it had been lost, and I walked away from a purchase. The deal breaker came when I was asked for a copy of my drivers license at work. I again claimed it had been lost and I'd have to get a new one.

I thought it'd be a simple matter of going to the DMV and getting a new license with a new picture. That's not the way it works. Until it's expired, they issue replacement drivers licenses with the same photo. I was told it was a new Homeland Security regulation. They refused to do a new photo, and I was in a panic.

I ended up going to a different DMV office, and the clerk I guess took pity on me. It was a little humiliating. I had to pretty much come clean with why I needed the new photo, and she called the main office of the DMV and explained the situation and plead my case for me. I ended up getting the new license, but I won't ever do that again. Lesson learned.

[Sally24]

If you are not disguised, heavy makeup and contouring, I don't see how they could refuse. I had no problem getting a state I'D en femme. Even had my whole story ready to go and they never asked. I would go with light makeup except for the eyes. The flash washes them out so I would do extra liner and mascara. Good luck Lita!
Just be sure you are ready for this step.

[LitaKelley]

so sex still says M but you are clearly a F in the picture? That's a fake ID blame game waiting to happen. ......

Maybe, but there's nothing fake about it since it's a state issued drivers license and although I'd have the M marker, my name is definitely a female one.. some call it unisex, lol.. the only thing fake about it would be the wig.

Too bad you can't just get a State ID card with your girl pic and boy info on it..The last pic taken stays in the DMV file so that is the pic that the officer[s] see when they pull you over..You want to be,but certainly aren't full time so 2 forms of ID may be best FOR NOW.Change it later.

NH does not allow state ID for those issued a drivers license. NH also does not store photographs in any system for those whom elect to opt out of this via the check box on the application. They used to always store them, but this practice was challenged and the state was forced to include an opt out for those wishing to not have their photograph stored... I'm not concerned in any manner whatsoever about police since I rarely if ever have any sort of interaction/involvement with anything requiring such.. As for changing it later, the only time a new photo can be issued is upon renewal, so that means waiting another 6yrs.

why dont you just get a crossdresser id , somebody on here makes them ask around it has all your benificial info on it so it should work , i know ive seen the pic of one i just dont remeber who it was that did this

It won't serve any legal purpose, is not a recognizable nor acceptable form of identification ANYWHERE and in some states is a FELONY to use, possess, manufacture and/or distribute.

It's not the end of the world when you show your male id when your in drag; I did and I said I was in drag / that's me. Not a big issue. Get over it.

?? Sorry, drag does not apply to me. I'm not a performance artist, and yes, it IS a big deal. This is about who I am, and having my en femme photo on my DL reinforces that

[aggi123]

if you're going to go 24/7 I say go for it

The only issue I can see is if you're not 100% and you need it when applying for jobs or something.

[kimdl93]

its not something i've had to face, but since you're committed to 24/7 femme presentation, then I would suggest getting the ID to match. You don't seem to be bothered by possible reactions when you're in m/m (which is apparently infrequent)...and if once in a while someone declines to accept your ID, then so be it.

[LitaKelley]

if you're going to go 24/7 I say go for it

The only issue I can see is if you're not 100% and you need it when applying for jobs or something.

I thought about the "jobs" thing for a little bit. I've been self employed since 2005 and really didn't need a job until now since the economy isn't so great, income is down, business isn't good enough for self sufficiency these last few months and I'll more than likely need a job if things get worse.. however, I had it planned in my head that I'd be seeking out part time jobs where I could work en femme, such as a womens clothing store.