Texas Capitol - State Trooper Contact

[RJGold]

My wife, daughter, and I spent a few days in Austin last week trying out our new fifth wheel. We went through the Capitol one afternoon. I checked in at the LTC checkpoint at security. The Trooper asked for my LTC (but didn't want my drivers license) and asked me if I was carrying. I told him I was. He waived me through the checkpoint and then asked me how long I'd had my license. I told him I wasn't sure but it's been a few years. He laughed and said he didn't mean to offend me but he noticed my photo wasn't keeping up with my grey (referring to my hair). I told him it was a hazard of using your DL picture for your LTC and it definitely had a few years on it.

Later as we were leaving, he overheard us talking about where we intended to eat and walked over and said that one of the places we were discussing had just closed. He said it was too hot outside to make that trip for nothing.

Nice guy and good encounter overall.

[OneGun]

A nice story! I wish the media published more stories like this one rather than looking for LEO interactions that had negative outcomes.

[bear94]

The troopers are going to have a field day with my LTC. I was a day over 18 when I took the photo for my DL and they ended up using the DL photo on my LTC.

[jb2012]

I think I was 17ish in my DL picture and I used to be almost blonde, for some reason my hair darkened a ton to basically brown. Lol I get questioned all the time.

[Mel]

I think I was 17ish in my DL picture and I used to be almost blonde, for some reason my hair darkened a ton to basically brown. Lol I get questioned all the time.

I was going through a VERY long and frustrating TSA line at San Diego Airport just after I had grown my beard. I did NOT have it when my driver's license picture was taken. A TSA agent stopped me and said, "You don't have a beard in your picture." I said, "I didn't have a beard when I got in this line!" I immediately thought, "Uh-Oh, I probably shouldn't have said that." He just laughed and said, "Well, I asked for that didn't I?"

[TexasTornado]

I think I was 17ish in my DL picture and I used to be almost blonde, for some reason my hair darkened a ton to basically brown. Lol I get questioned all the time.

I was going through a VERY long and frustrating TSA line at San Diego Airport just after I had grown my beard. I did NOT have it when my driver's license picture was taken. A TSA agent stopped me and said, "You don't have a beard in your picture." I said, "I didn't have a beard when I got in this line!" I immediately thought, "Uh-Oh, I probably shouldn't have said that." He just laughed and said, "Well, I asked for that didn't I?"

How could he not laugh at that? It's hysterical! You're a whitty one...I will have to beware.

[RetNavy]

when we moved into our new house last year i updated my CHL before the DL and the picture on it is from 16 years ago... updated DL has a current picture... what a difference...

[jb2012]

I think I was 17ish in my DL picture and I used to be almost blonde, for some reason my hair darkened a ton to basically brown. Lol I get questioned all the time.

I was going through a VERY long and frustrating TSA line at San Diego Airport just after I had grown my beard. I did NOT have it when my driver's license picture was taken. A TSA agent stopped me and said, "You don't have a beard in your picture." I said, "I didn't have a beard when I got in this line!" I immediately thought, "Uh-Oh, I probably shouldn't have said that." He just laughed and said, "Well, I asked for that didn't I?"

[JALLEN]

Shortly after we moved back here, I went in to get a Texas DL. The lady went through my form, stopped when it said "red hair." She said "it's more like white."

I replied, politely, "look at my CA license, just renewed a few months ago. It says 'red.' You aren't saying CA was mistaken, are you?"

My TX DL says red hair.

[ELB]

Shortly after we moved back here, I went in to get a Texas DL. The lady went through my form, stopped when it said "red hair." She said "it's more like white."

I replied, politely, "look at my CA license, just renewed a few months ago. It says 'red.' You aren't saying CA was mistaken, are you?"

My TX DL says red hair.

When the USAF brought me to Texas in 1998 I had already made up my mind to stay, and there was still that 6-month wait for CHLs required for new residents. I scurried down the DPS office to get my DL so I could register to vote, establish residence etc. I had an old DL from Indiana that used an even older picture on it, but my hair had already matured considerably in the mean time. The gal at the counter filled in my form for me, I guess directly to the computer, and she asked me my hair color:

I said "Distinguished."

She didn't even crack a smile, just flicked an eye at me and typed in "Gray."

Those license branch people have no sense of compassion or humor at all.


ETA: I just noticed my latest DL doesn't list hair color at all. Just height and eye color. My LTC does ("Gry", thank you pitiless DPS clerks), but not the DL. Huh.

[joe817]

Shortly after we moved back here, I went in to get a Texas DL. The lady went through my form, stopped when it said "red hair." She said "it's more like white." I replied, politely, "look at my CA license, just renewed a few months ago. It says 'red.' You aren't saying CA was mistaken, are you?"

My TX DL says red hair.

When the USAF brought me to Texas in 1998 I had already made up my mind to stay, and there was still that 6-month wait for CHLs required for new residents. I scurried down the DPS office to get my DL so I could register to vote, establish residence etc. I had an old DL from Indiana that used an even older picture on it, but my hair had already matured considerably in the mean time. The gal at the counter filled in my form for me, I guess directly to the computer, and she asked me my hair color:

I said "Distinguished." She didn't even crack a smile, just flicked an eye at me and typed in "Gray." Those license branch people have no sense of compassion or humor at all.

ETA: I just noticed my latest DL doesn't list hair color at all. Just height and eye color. My LTC does ("Gry", thank you pitiless DPS clerks), but not the DL. Huh.

That is SOOOOO funny you guys! Thanks for the laugh!

[ScottDLS]

When I went to the Navy recruiter in 1983 to try get into the officer commissioning programs, the recruiter after giving up on trying to get me to enlist, and before reluctantly shuffling me off the officer recruiter (a brand new Ensign waiting for flight school to start).... Gave me this one sage piece of advice... He said...

Make sure you spell everything exactly right and write clearly all your information.... because if you spell it wrong, or mess up a number, or check black when you mean white...(or vice versa).....you will live with that information to the end of your days without being able to change it short of an Act of Congress, Presidential Order, or UN resolution...

I still have this vision of some poor black guy or white guy getting asked "what tribe?" for the rest of his life... after checking Native American instead of native born citizen...

And my blonde 16 year old hair, became forever brown on whatever form of official identification, I had from 1984 to today...luckily what isn't gray is actually brown today.

[JALLEN]

When I went to the Navy recruiter in 1983 to try get into the officer commissioning programs, the recruiter after giving up on trying to get me to enlist, and before reluctantly shuffling me off the officer recruiter (a brand new Ensign waiting for flight school to start).... Gave me this one sage piece of advice... He said...

Make sure you spell everything exactly right and write clearly all your information.... because if you spell it wrong, or mess up a number, or check black when you mean white...(or vice versa).....you will live with that information to the end of your days without being able to change it short of an Act of Congress, Presidential Order, or UN resolution...

I still have this vision of some poor black guy or white guy getting asked "what tribe?" for the rest of his life... after checking Native American instead of native born citizen...

And my blonde 16 year old hair, became forever brown on whatever form of official identification, I had from 1984 to today...luckily what isn't gray is actually brown today.

My high school buddy got the NROTC Scholarship to UT that I coveted and sacrificed much to get, in vain. When he was in-processing, some hawk eyed personnelman spotted that his birth certificate said he was female. Today, I suppose no one would care, but back then, when ships were wood, this was a discrepancy for which there was no instruction in the BuPers manual. Somehow it was muddled through. His mother was a friend of LBJ; maybe that helped.

[TreyHouston]

I was going through a VERY long and frustrating TSA line at San Diego Airport just after I had grown my beard. I did NOT have it when my driver's license picture was taken. A TSA agent stopped me and said, "You don't have a beard in your picture." I said, "I didn't have a beard when I got in this line!" I immediately thought, "Uh-Oh, I probably shouldn't have said that." He just laughed and said, "Well, I asked for that didn't I?"

[Soccerdad1995]

My only issues with the process at the state capitol is that you are required to show your license at all, and that they insist on scanning it. I thought that LEO's could only ask for the LTC if they had reasonable suspicion that a crime was being committed, not just because you are carrying a gun.

But in the grand scheme of things, it's not a huge deal, as long as it doesn't spread to other locations.