Change your name? Use your middle name or middle initial or maiden name?

In order to use my DL for ID for travel, it has to match my passport which uses my full first name, maiden name and last name. I'd be surprised if all of those of yours matched the PA woman's.

If you don't have a middle name, you can make something up. Pres Harry Truman had no middle name, but they decided he should have something so he stuck the "s" in. I always thought it a bad choice as Harry S sounds a lot like a furry donkey...

My middle name is on the DL.

Write to your state representative, explaining the problem and asking his or her office to contact the bmv on your behalf. The bmv (bureau of motor vehicles?) should be able to get your identity straight for once and for all. Is this connected to getting a "real id"?

Thanks Nickel! No, this all started a few years after I was married and thus, changed my name to be like the bad person...HA! I have just given them the letter each time the renewal comes up...but really, this is ridiculous this is going on for almost 10 years now.

Contact your governor's constituent services office.

That is frustrating -- and someday will they accept a ten year old letter? Good luck!

Good luck.. I loved PA, but they sure had some tough times moving on sometimes. I had been moved from there for over 5 years...everyone

notified of move, all records changed. My medical records had been

sent to my new Dr in my new State. Along came a nasty e-mail from

Geisinger that I had not had necessary appointments, shots, etc., and

was not checking My Chart for news, etc. Now...note, the e-mail they

used, was a new one, established in the new State and used to notify

PA of all my changes....5 years earlier. In all fairness...I, once again,

explained everything ...word by word..to them. And, I did receive

an apology...and of course a blame for someone else. About 2 years

after that I was notified to check out some changes in "My Chart" there.

Just ignored that one.

The world is run by clerks. I can call the same business or other organizational phone number twice and get a different version each time a different person answers. Even the IRS does not stand behind answers people using its own telephone helpline are given.

contact a congressman or your us senator ....

My DSIL works in the courts. About 40 years ago she let me know there was someone with the same first and last name as me, who had quite a few tickets or worse on her record. She told me if I was ever pulled over to tell the officer to check the middle name!

I agree with Annie that going back to your maiden name would be the best option. Or use a hyphenated last name with MaidenName-HusbandName.

Well, the woman doesn't even have the same first name as I do. Image that my name is oh say Helen and her name is Helman... so not the same spelling. I'm not going to change my name! I have no idea what her middle name is, maybe it's the same as my name?

I wonder--do you have a passport? Would a passport convince the Ohio BMV that you are really who you are claiming to be?

Changing your name isn't a big deal.

I knew a woman whose name was Debbie Schitz.

For obvious reasons, she wanted to change her name, went to court and did it.

Now she's Veronica Schitz.

:)

Sorry, couldn't help myself.

This story makes no sense. You have a social security number for a reason. USE IT.

Considering the problems you're having with identity issues I hope you check your credit reports too. Years ago when DH checked his he was surprised to discover that one of his former residences was a nursing home for senior citizens - he was around 40 at the time. And under the category for 'other names' were names that weren't even close to his two were female. He manged to get it corrected but since then we've been vigilant.

Your state representative is always available for helping his constituents. I have had good outcomes the two times I called mine.

A similar thing happened to my sister in law. She almost had her utilities cut off because a woman with the same first, middle and last name wasn't paying her bills. Even after my SIL told the utility company the addresses were even different they didn't believe her. She had a hard time getting auto insurance as well. FF about 2 years: I'm working in a drug store and a lady pays with a credit card. I look at the name on the card and say, "you have the same first and last name as my SIL!" She said "but is her middle name Lorraine?" BAM! I met the mystery woman!! She said "I'm picking up a few odds and ends for my wedding tomorrow." And wouldn't you know it, the bills stopped coming to my SIL within a few weeks.

It's horrible when you have the same name as someone else and companies don't believe you when you say you're not the person they're looking for.

I don't know about changing your name. How is that going to help the current situation specifically? Won't that just confuse PA? I changed my name when I got married (25 yrs ago), and dang if that hasn't caused me some issues over the years. I would think changing it BACK would create even more...and they'd probably occur in the short term....

Besides, the MOUNTAIN of paperwork, phone calls, etc to change it would be SO challenging, and that does NOT guarantee that the current problem would go away. If you ever google a name of someone you know, you might be surprised to see their relatives listed, all of their maiden and married names, relatives by marriage and former marriage... I don't think changing your name is going to make these issues go away.

Further, what is meant by the exhortation to use your SS#? In what way would using your SS# help in these situations? For years now, I avoid using that precious number whenever possible, except as relates to credit (home refi) or as necessary for government documennts. And it doesn't matter if YOU prove who you are with a SS#, because the other person DOESN'T/DIDN'T use it and you're in this pickle---and it might be worse if the other person DID use your SS#... which happens sometimes!

Edit: Yes, i think yayagal has great advice. I did recently use my state representative to force my state to send me the driver's license I had renewed. They would.not.send.it.to.me. despite my having all manner of evidence I had paid for it and done everything correctly. The state representative got it done for me within 10 days.

Maybe try contacting your registrar as well? It's Charles Norman. If you haven't tried using the deputy-registrar email or phone number, this letter has it at the botton:

https://ohiobmv.gov/inc/rfp/2019/2019%20Deputy%20Registrar%20Contract%20Decisions%20Announcement%20Letter.pdf

arcy, of course they have my SS number! GAH! Kinda rude!

I once had a strange situation. My doctor, who was a good friend and neighbor, had another patient who had the exact same name as me! And to top it off we both were using the same pharmacy. It caused some confusion! I once got her blood work results and the pharmacy tried giving me her medication. Thank goodness they always asked for me to give them my address. I said no that's not me! My doctor said he was glad when she moved! It could have been a lot worse especially if I was not aware that I had a double lol.

OH NO Raven! That's not good, that could have been deadly actually! UGH!

This isn't about identity theft, but I do check my credit annually, there's nothing out of the ordinary. It is all about PA trying to catch some criminal. And to elaborate on the comment that arcy made, I had to send to PA all sorts of IDs so they could send me that letter to give to the Ohio BMV. They had to have my SS number, my Ohio DL, my birth certificate and my marriage license too if I remember correctly. It was a real ordeal!

It seems to me that the error is originating with PA - they've sent out (still sending out?) this alert with the wrong name. I wonder if contacting the PA state attorney general's consumer help division could get it corrected. Or since I think you said that you know which department is at fault - can you write directly to the director of that department? The names are listed on the state's main website.

When we first moved here over twenty years ago the DMV misspelled my husband's first name - which he didn't catch until the license arrived. When he tried to have it corrected the DMV told him would be easier for him to change his name - despite the fact it was their error! Yes, we've had issues because of this over the years.