Drivers without a REAL ID in North Carolina can now renew their driver’s license online for a second consecutive time.
Senate Bill 245, “Expand Remote Drivers License Services,” which was signed into law last week by Democratic Gov. Josh Stein, made the new option possible.
It allows for remote renewals of drivers licenses, eliminates the driving-log requirement, and authorizes remote issuance for full provisional licenses.
“This law will enable more people to renew their driver’s license online, helping them avoid lines at DMV offices,” Stein said. “It will also strengthen the state’s ability to protect against cyber threats.”
NCDMV officials stressed that the change currently applies only to non-REAL ID driver’s licenses, not to State ID cards.
“We encourage our customers to renew their driver’s license online if they’re eligible. It’s fast, easy, and helps reduce wait times at our offices,” DMV Commissioner Paul Tine said in a press release. “By choosing online services, you’re freeing up space for those who need in-person assistance.”
Provisions of the law also allow REAL ID driver licenses to be renewed online a second consecutive time if the customer has had an in-person transaction where a new photo was taken since their last renewal. In many cases, those in-person transactions were to obtain a REAL ID outside of the customer’s renewal period, but also included name changes, in-state address changes, and duplicates. NCDMV expects these additional renewals to be available in the next several weeks.
The remaining provision of the law, which allows teen drivers to upgrade from their Level 2 Limited Provisional License (“before 9s”) to the Level 3 Full Provisional License (“after 9s”) online, will also be available in the next several weeks. Teens can already upgrade from a Level 3 Full Provisional License to a regular Class C license online on their 18th birthday.
The DMV has faced much criticism over the past few years for difficulties in obtaining or renewing a license, including residents not finding any available appointments online, having to schedule appointments much further from a person’s home, and having to take time off work to stand in long lines at times for a whole day, only to be turned away when they get to the door.
State Auditor Dave Boliek released his office’s 435-page audit on the DMV in August.
He said the audit showed that the customer experience is deteriorating worse than they expected, particularly over the last five years. Among the issues DMV employees are grappling with is the growing workload due to staffing issues, which in turn hurts customers; and outdated technology.
But, the biggest issue affecting the DMV, according to Boliek, is what he considers the systematic breakdown in the historically fractured relationship between the DMV and the Department of Transportation (NCDOT), where the DMV is housed.
Boliek recommends that lawmakers consider making the DMV an autonomous agency with direct control over its budget, strategic planning, and operations.
When combined, the three provisions of the new law could allow for up to 400,000 more transactions to occur online instead of in person at a driver license office.
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