VSD-001 Vet on CA ID

Anyone bother getting Veteran on their CA ID? I was surprised how many vet centers I had to call to find an open slot to get the VSD-001 done. Would have figured its a walk-in type thing.

Got the itch to do this because I'm getting my M1, so figured might as well upgrade to Real ID and Vet at the same time- why not.

 

I did. My CA drivers license was up for normal renewal in 2018, and it was the renewal where I had to physically go into the DMV office to take the vision test to make sure I can still see to drive safely, so I went to my local Veteran's officer and got the form filled out, and got both my Veteran's designation, and Real ID at the same time as renewing my license itself.

Of course a few months later. my wife and I bought a house, so now my license has my old address, and my OCD is driving me nuts, so at some point in the near future, I am going to go back in t0 the DMV to get a new license with my current address on it. I did the address change online as soon as we moved, but the CA DMV no longer issues a new license merely for an address change. You have to go in, and pay the fee for a new license.

 

Have to admit the CA DMV process has gotten better. I had to go in twice but both times it went pretty smoothly. Now I have a super License, its a C and M1, Real ID and Veteran status. The hardest part was getting the VSD-001 done, I guess the staff approved to do it are spread thin and are mobile.

 

Make sure when you go back and update your address, get a new Vet verification done as well. I had to do the same thing and ended up going back and forth multiple times because they wouldn't accept the fact that my current license stated Veteran. Also make sure you take a new photo, something I also learned the hard way and had to call after my license didn't show up for a month. Was told that changing to RealID and/or updating is considered a new license and needed a new photo. Was not told this when I was there physically getting it done.

 

So you had to make an appt at the local VA office to come in to get a verification? Weird, I just walked in with my DD214 and they filled out the paperwork, done in 5 minutes or so.

 

Yep. My region is Los Angeles. I had called a number of places (DMV provided a list of VA centers) that required an appointment to be set. Once set, yeah the process was fast, about 5 mins.

 

I walked into my county County VA office signed in and within 25 minutes I had paperwork in my hand for the DMV

 

I guess that makes sense considering the population size difference.

 

As I mentioned if you've got a County VA Field office , it's much faster generating paperwork than a VA Med center . The VSO's at the County VA office are much more knowledgeable