Clairmont Heights Civic Association

People are reporting long lines and waits up to three hours when they go to renew their licenses. On July 1, Georgia had to begin complying with the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 (co-sponsored according to the AJC by then U.S. Rep. Nathan Deal).  The Georgia DDS website says you are now required to renew in person and to provide some extra documentation: 

"Effective July 1, 2012, DDS will begin issuing Secure ID Driver’s Licenses and ID Cards, Customers who are renewing or applying for the first time, must visit a DDS Customer Service Center in person and present original documents proving identity, social security number and residential address." 

On the DDS site, you can enter your zip code and see a list of offices within ten miles of your location. 

The law was originally an anti-terrorist measure.  Here's the sub-title of the law per Wikipedia: "To establish and rapidly implement regulations for State driver's license and identification document security standards, to prevent terrorists from abusing the asylum laws of the United States, to unify terrorism-related grounds for inadmissibility and removal, and to ensure expeditious construction of the San Diego border fence."