Is this Privacy?

We seem to have privacy laws run amok. This morning I decided to stop by the Office of Motor Vehicles and renew my license plates, all three of them are about to expire. I gathered up copies of the registrations, insurance certificates and blank checks, cash and credit cards.

When I get there there was a long line of people waiting to see the "Receptionist", actually two people behind a desk who's primary job seemed to be to tell people they didn't have The Right Stuff. Sure enough when I got my turn I was told that I couldn't renew two of the license plates, because my wife's name was on the title. The reason, it is against privacy regulations, I might learn some secret stuff, except I already had copies of the registration and simply wanted to pay a fee and get the little tag. What secret stuff was on the registration form?

I was told that If she filled out a form and I came back with the signed form and a copy of her drivers license they would let me pay the fee and renew the registrations.

There was another problem. We lost the titles in the flood and never got them replaced. We can't get one of them replaced. One of the cars has a lien on it from a long ago, long paid off car loan. In order for them to give us a new title that has to be removed. In order to do that I need a letter form the bank, A signed and notarized form from my wife.

All of this in a community property state where joint management is the law. I can legally sign a contract to buy a car and obligate my wife to help pay for it, but I can't renew the registration on it without a note from her, even though I have all of the information necessary to do so.

It may take years to get this sorted out.