DMV: We'll see you in 16 years
Michael Barrett
Drive safely and play your cards right, and you could go a decade and a half without having to venture into the dreaded DMV.
The obligation of renewing a driver's license every eight years has traditionally compelled people to visit a Division of Motor Vehicles office, often kicking and screaming. But last week, the state agency added a feature to its website that allows you to do that online.
It's a groundbreaking change that's bound to provoke a few questions.
Q: How do renewals work now?
A: You must renew your license every eight years, just like before. Renewals for drivers ages 18 to 65 are good for eight years, and everyone else's last five years.
Q: What has changed?
A: Before, you had to visit a DMV office, take a license renewal test and have a new picture taken every time. Now, you only have to do that every other time your license expires. That means most North Carolinians will be required to visit a DMV office only once every 16 years. Between those visits, you can renew by logging on to ncdot.gov/dmv/online.
Q: Why are they doing this?
A: To improve customer service online and in DMV offices, according to Gov. Pat McCrory. It will make it "faster, easier and more convenient for people to complete their business and get back to their busy lives," he said in a press release.
Q: Will there be a change in cost?
A: Perhaps, though that's unsure. For decades, the state has basically charged $4 for every year since your last renewal. That means an online renewal after eight years costs $32. A bill being considered by state lawmakers would change the fee to $6 per year, meaning a renewal would cost $48.
Q: What about getting a duplicate license?
A: You can still do it in person or online, just like now. If you need a duplicate due to a lost, stolen or damaged license, or a change of address, you can go online now and take care of it. All you need is your social security number, driver's license number, an email address to receive your receipt, and a credit card to pay the $10 charge.
Q. What if my name changed?
A name change still requires an in-person DMV visit, along with a Social Security document proving your name change, to get a new license.
Q: What's to stop someone from renewing or getting a duplicate license in my name?
A: First off, DMV officials say the applicant would have to have your driver's license and social security numbers. And if they had the new license mailed to a new, in-state address, you would be alerted at you old address and have the opportunity to report it.
Q: Are there exceptions?
A: Yes. An office visit is still required for new licenses, commercial licenses, drivers with medical or other restrictions other than corrective lenses. And if you're getting your license reinstated after it was suspended or revoked, you won't be able to do it online.
Q: What else is new?
A: The DMV will soon roll out a redesigned, remanufactured driver's license. They'll be more durable than the frail ones in use now, which are known to crack and fade. And the new licenses have security features designed to thwart counterfeiters, such as three versions of the driver's photo and more laser etching.
Q: Is 16 years too long to go between getting a new license photo?
A: DMV officials say it's not. The department is using cameras with increasingly better image resolution these days, said DMV spokesman Steve Abbott. And as much as you may age, gain or lose facial hair, or alter your appearance over 16 years, your core features stay the same, he said.
"Your hair color may change, but your face really doesn't," he said.
You can reach Michael Barrett at 704-869-1826 or twitter.com/GazetteMike.
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