Why does one 's driving licence have one's place of birth on it?

[Miljah]

It occurs to me that in these fractionated times, it's maybe not necessary to have this on what for many us your principle form of ID, going into pubs, night clubs etc where one might encounter 'more elevated' emotions once alcohol enters the mix.

WDYT?

I don’t think this is going to make much sense until you tell us the country in question, OP.

Like you OP I'm as English as they come however I was born abroad. Never had a single issue, ever. I'm a bit confused as to the problem here tbh.

I’m white British but was born elsewhere. It’s never been held against me but then for reasons of skin colour most people immediately assume the truth, which is that my British parents just happened to be temporarily abroad when I was born. I guess that the large number of German born Brits get more people assuming that they’re actually German and complimenting them on their accent.

The only time anyone's ever asked to see my driving licence is when hiring a car. It's useful too at the post office or something picking up a parcel when they need photo ID to confirm it's you.

But op seems to think the man in the post office will see she's born in South Africa or wherever and back away slowly, making the sign of the cross. What a load of nonsense.

The reason they use place of birth Is to avoid confusion between several people called Tom Jones or Ann Robinson all born on the same day.

I can potentially see her point. My family were born in the Middle East. It has caused conflict when others have seen it (i.e we have been held longer at passport etc)

Pubs and clubs aren't quite on the same level as passport control though are they

However, I had to lie about that to get interviews as a HCP! In 1983

I knew someone in the early nineties that got their qualifications (nursing) in South Africa, but had to retake them here as they weren't recognised by some UK employers due to the cultural boycott. Time has dimmed the details, but it stuck with me ....

The OPs comments made me think of that ...

I also met a family that had moved to the UK from Jamaica, where they had lived for a couple of generations. They were whiter than snow, and yet spoke with the broadest Jamaican accents I've heard. Apparently their children were told off at school for being racist. In the end they relocated to the US. (The Dad was an architect so an in demand profession).

changechange Yes, I can see that having a middle eastern country as your place of birth could be an issue these days.

I knew a consultant (doctor) who was 100% home counties white, top of her year in medical school.

She was endlessly not being offered interviews for house officer jobs. She got a professor to look over her CV. He suggested she changed Lucknow to Guildford as her place of birth, and guess what...

I took her advice and changed my east African place of birth to a British one.

However, this is more about having a Polish, Lithuanian, Nigerian, Iranian, just as examples - POB, as some have understood upthread.

I just don't think our most commonly used identifier needs to have your POB on it, if it has your name, DOB and address on it.

It's quite telling when a system expects people to know their place of birth. Not everyone does for various reasons. I wonder what happens then ? Like people with no fingerprints in a way ...

I just don't think our most commonly used identifier needs to have your POB on it, if it has your name, DOB and address on it.

I haven't used it as ID ever!

The purpose of a driving licence isn't to get you into a night club....

It's the same information that's on your birth certificate, passport, etc. It helps to prevent people using someone else's identity.

I think it's a non-issue really.

@Miljah I also don't understand why your POB is on your CV anyway... it's the same as not including your DOB...

Until I read this thread I didn’t even know that your place of birth was on your driving license.

Chip. Shoulder.

If you’re pulled over by the police and are checked out on the PNC, there can be loads of people with the same name and date of birth, having your place of birth listed means we check the right licence. Nothing sinister

I'm a bit confused; you started the thread moaning about POB being on the DL because of pubs and clubs and you have changed to it being on a cv and preventing people getting jobs.

Maybe you should have just said what your actual problem is 🤷‍♀️

There are several reasons why I think having one's POB on one's DL could be problematic.

@sacope. HTH

No, it doesn't help at all. I asked why you went from DL to CV.

I just checked, mine has the city I was born in and nothing else. Even that doesn't tell you anything because apart from the 5 nights my dm & I spent in the hospital, I've never lived there and by the time I was 18 months we lived in a different country.

HTH

How does saying absolutely nothing help?

My US licence has my weight on it

No it doesn’t help really.
Can you please elaborate?

The only time I use my driving license really is to pick up parcels. No one has ever commented on my place of birth.

There are several reasons why I think having one's POB on one's DL could be problematic

None of which you have actually explained. You've just answered with ummmmm and saud theres several reasons.

Great. Excellent.

However none of us are mind readers, so what the bloody hell are your several reasons?

And don't answer with umm or HTH. cos their both sarcastic and rude