NC drivers get 2-year grace period to renew licenses

In an effort to ease mounting frustrations with the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Gov. Josh Stein has signed Senate Bill 391 into law, granting a temporary two-year grace period for NC drivers. Under this legislation, licenses expired as of July 1 will remain valid, for in-state driving only, through Dec. 31, 2027.

The measure was enacted in direct response to backlogs at the DMV, where residents have encountered extensive wait times or unavailability for renewal appointments.

Provisions of the moratorium

While drivers can legally operate a vehicle during the moratorium, expired licenses are not valid for anything other than driving privileges. Also, the extension does not apply to non-residents; nor to commercial, suspended, revoked or canceled licenses.

Officials continue to urge drivers to renew early, despite this relief effort.

“We advise our customers to renew their licenses to ensure they remain valid for identification purposes, including to fly, rent a car, get a bank loan, fill a prescription and have documents notarized,” Paul Tine, the commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles, said in a statement. 

EXPANDED SERVICES aimed at reducing frustration with DMV

As part of the relief package, the NCDMV has also expanded services. The department has reopened 20 offices on Saturdays through August, and is now accepting walk-ins for renewals and offering online renewals for convenience. However, once expired, licenses can only be renewed online once every other time.

paul tine’s role amid DMV reforms

In May, Paul Tine assumed the position of NCDMV commissioner, succeeding Wayne Goodwin.

Under Goodwin’s leadership, which began in 2022, there was a lot of public backlash against the DMV. In a committee hearing in February, Goodwin faced harsh criticism from state lawmakers.

“Under your tenure, the DMV has been one of the most dysfunctional agencies in state government,” committee co-chair and House Majority Leader Rep. Brenden Jones, R-Columbus, told Goodwin.

Tine described the DMV as “broken” and promised significant improvements.

“There is no shortage of challenges facing our division, and it is critical that we get to work quickly to reduce wait times, make our website more user-friendly, and empower our frontline staff to ensure the highest level of service to our citizens,” Tine said in a press release.

The much-anticipated audit of the NC DMV is expected to be released soon, according to State Auditor Dave Boliek. While appointments remain widely unavailable and frustrations still remain, advocates hope this legislation will be a significant step towards expanding access to DMV services.

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