An "Only in the DR" licensing story when it expires on the same day as renewal...

[windeguy]

I have a license that needs to be renewed annually. Thank the gods that as of last year I can do this in Santiago and not have to go to Santo Domingo.

Yesteday was the expiration date of the license, so I went to Santiago after paying for the license in Banreservas.

When I turned in my documents to the gatekeeper of the office, she looked at them and said, I will be right back. Hmmn.
Right back was more than 5 minutes later. So I do as I am told to complete the license procedure, including one thing they mistakenly hade me do
that I didn't have to. When I submitted my forms to the second gatekeeper he mentioned my license expires that very day. Indeed it did and that is
why I was renewing yesterday.

He then explained to me that if I had submitted for renewal the day before or a day later, the new license would be printed and ready in 30 minutes.
BUT, because I was renewing ON the expiration day it would take longer. How long? No idea, but he would call me when it was ready .

Only in the DR does this make any sense to someone somewhere..

 

[Northern Coast Diver]

OMG! How can they treat a citizen like this? This is completely outrageous! I'm shocked!

 

[josh2203]

I have a license that needs to be renewed annually. Thank the gods that as of last year I can do this in Santiago and not have to go to Santo Domingo.

Yesteday was the expiration date of the license, so I went to Santiago after paying for the license in Banreservas.

When I turned in my documents to the gatekeeper of the office, she looked at them and said, I will be right back. Hmmn.
Right back was more than 5 minutes later. So I do as I am told to complete the license procedure, including one thing they mistakenly hade me do
that I didn't have to. When I submitted my forms to the second gatekeeper he mentioned my license expires that very day. Indeed it did and that is
why I was renewing yesterday.

He then explained to me that if I had submitted for renewal the day before or a day later, the new license would be printed and ready in 30 minutes.
BUT, because I was renewing ON the expiration day it would take longer. How long? No idea, but he would call me when it was ready .

Only in the DR does this make any sense to someone somewhere..

Call me weird or whatever you wish, but I can find a logical explanation: If you renew before the actual expiration date, all is good, but starting the expiration date, the document may enter some different status in their system, which then causes this delay. They might even consider it already expired (if it says fecha de vencimiento, and it's today, it could technically be already expired in their system?) and have to process it differently, whereas had you done it before, it would still have a regular status? Just thinking...

 

[windeguy]

Call me weird or whatever you wish, but I can find a logical explanation: If you renew before the actual expiration date, all is good, but starting the expiration date, the document may enter some different status in their system, which then causes this delay. They might even consider it already expired (if it says fecha de vencimiento, and it's today, it could technically be already expired in their system?) and have to process it differently, whereas had you done it before, it would still have a regular status? Just thinking...

Please re-read what I posted: He then explained to me that if I had submitted for renewal the day before or a day later, the new license would be printed and ready in 30 minutes.

If I renewed the day before or the day after it expired, I would have had the license within half an hour. Renewing it ON the day of expiration was what made it take longer to print the renewal. That is the reason for the "Only In the DR " situation.

After re-reading what I actually posted in the OP, can you still find a logical explanation?

 

[AlterEgo]

Who used to say “Remember where you are”????

 

[windeguy]

Who used to say “Remember where you are”????

No doubt about that... And so it goes.

 

[HDR]

I have a license that needs to be renewed annually. Thank the gods that as of last year I can do this in Santiago and not have to go to Santo Domingo.

Yesteday was the expiration date of the license, so I went to Santiago after paying for the license in Banreservas.

When I turned in my documents to the gatekeeper of the office, she looked at them and said, I will be right back. Hmmn.
Right back was more than 5 minutes later. So I do as I am told to complete the license procedure, including one thing they mistakenly hade me do
that I didn't have to. When I submitted my forms to the second gatekeeper he mentioned my license expires that very day. Indeed it did and that is
why I was renewing yesterday.

He then explained to me that if I had submitted for renewal the day before or a day later, the new license would be printed and ready in 30 minutes.
BUT, because I was renewing ON the expiration day it would take longer. How long? No idea, but he would call me when it was ready .

Only in the DR does this make any sense to someone somewhere..

I think you live In Cabarete, right? I renewed mine in Puerto Plata last time, and it went very smooth

 

[windeguy]

I think you live In Cabarete, right? I renewed mine in Puerto Plata last time, and it went very smooth

Yes, I live in Cabarete. I took the touristic highway to Santiago and back but never saw a tourist on it.

The license I have can only be renewed in Santiago or Santo Domingo. No other locations are possible. So I would much rather do Santiago of those two. The agency is part of the MIP.

 

[josh2203]

If I renewed the day before or the day after it expired, I would have had the license within half an hour. Renewing it ON the day of expiration was what made it take longer to print the renewal. That is the reason for the "Only In the DR " situation.

After re-reading what I actually posted in the OP, can you still find a logical explanation?

I stand partially corrected I did not read that properly. But still, as per what you were told, I bet there is some system block exactly on the date of expiry. I'm not saying that makes any sense, but this leads me to think that this system issue is still the reason. I could be wrong though.

 

[windeguy]

I stand partially corrected I did not read that properly. But still, as per what you were told, I bet there is some system block exactly on the date of expiry. I'm not saying that makes any sense, but this leads me to think that this system issue is still the reason. I could be wrong though.

I agree that their software is probably at fault for the issue. They needed some kind of response from the home office in Santo Domingo MIP to proceed as I understand it. Next year, I go a day early.

 

[Notengo]

So you drove to Santiago with an expired license? That’s illegal! The irony..lol.

 

[windeguy]

So you drove to Santiago with an expired license? That’s illegal! The irony..lol.

My license was expiring on that day. They told me at MIP it was better to come the day before or the day after it expired. Then the renewal would take less time.
There is no irony here at all unless it is in your mind and here is why:

For your future reference, when a license expires, that means it is valid until 12 midnight of that day it expires and invalid the day after it expires.
So, no, my license had not expired at all. Hope that helps you in the future.

 

[drstock]

My license was expiring on that day. They told me at MIP it was better to come the day before or the day after it expired. Then the renewal would take less time.
There is no irony here at all unless it is in your mind and here is why:

For your future reference, when a license expires, that means it is valid until 12 midnight of that day it expires and invalid the day after it expires.
So, no, my license had not expired at all. Hope that helps you in the future.

I think some people think you are talking about a driving licence, but you aren't, right?

 

[windeguy]

I think some people think you are talking about a driving licence, but you aren't, right?

For me to renew a driver's license I would go to Puerto Plata. My driver's license is not annual but will have a shorter duration next time because of age issues with driver's licenses now in effect. And so that goes. That renewal is over a year from now.

No, it is not a driver's license. Those are not annual for anyone. This is an annual license that can only be renewed at a special location in Santiago or Santo Domingo under the control of the MIP. Thank the gods a few years ago they added the location in Santiago. It was that last thing that was forcing me go to Santo Domingo and now I can just go to Santiago. I was home mid-afternoon despite the delay of a couple of hours.