Q: In light of the recent news that driver’s licenses were part of the Equifax breach, we contacted the Georgia Department of Driver Services and reported them as stolen. We thought we would get a license with a different number, since it doesn’t make sense to just print a new one with all the same information. When the new ones arrived, they had the same number as before. Does a new number need to be issued because of the Equifax breach?
—Tracy Eller, Milton
A: No, according to Georgia Department of Driver Services spokeswoman Susan Sports. DDS will only change driver's license and identification card numbers under "very limited circumstances, such as when a police report is issued in cases of robbery or theft," Sports told Q&A on the News in an email.
To monitor for discrepancies or notices of any changes to your driving record, however, you can create an online account with DDS at www.dds.georgia.gov. Concerned customers should periodically check their online driving history for anything suspicious.
If you notice a fraudulent use of your driver’s license, contact your local police department to file a report. A police report indicating actual theft of your license or specific incidents of actual fraud is required to change your license number, she wrote.
In early 2018, DDS plans to release an app that will notify your mobile phone when any changes are made to your driving history.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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