YELLOWKNIFE - A woman who was told she can't have three first names on her driver's licence is scratching her head after seeing a recent newspaper advertisement for the new NWT licence showing just that.

Therese Roemer was told by Department of Transportation officials that only the first two names that appear on one's birth certificate can appear on new driver's licences. Two days after her story appeared in Yellowknifer, a GNWT advertisement appeared depicting three first names on a new NWT driver's licence. - photo illustration courtesy of Dept. of Transportation

The advertisement shows a man holding up a licence bearing the first name Eric Arthur John.

Marie Anna Therese Roemer was told applying for a new birth certificate was the only way she could have "Therese" appear on her new NWT driver's licence.

The department informed her they would only print two first names. Her temporary licence currently reads "Marie Anna."

She would prefer Therese to appear as her first name as it does on her previous driver's licence, and on her credit card and health card.

When Yellowknifer questioned the Department of Transportation (DOT) on the matter, director Al Kaylo said there was a "two first name" maximum and no driver's licence could contain more than 126 characters.

Roemer's story appeared in the March 14 issue of Yellowknifer. She noticed the advertisement two days later and contacted Yellowknifer again.

"The ad clearly shows the gentleman holding the new driver's licence with three names on it. Now I'm confused," wrote Roemer. "Now if the government is confused and I'm confused, just imagine the confusion when I'm asked for two pieces of I.D. Will I be able to explain my way out of it?"

Short of applying for a new birth certificate, Kaylo had said the new driver's licence would be enough identification to pass through domestic airports.

"If this is all about security, hmmm. Shouldn't they get it right the first time?" Roemer goes on in her letter. "Whether a person has two names, three names or five names, shouldn't they all be recorded? I would think security would call for that."

DOT does record all information on a driver's licence applicant's file but cannot transfer all of it to the licence due to a 126 character maximum.

Bob Kelly, manager of communications for DOT, said the advertisement was produced in the summer before all the regulations were known. Kelly said that Kaylo had attended a conference regarding new licences that other jurisdictions have implemented or are in the process of implementing, where issues such as name lengths were discussed. He said the results of this conference would not be known for two weeks until a report is available.