North Carolina is overwhelmed and its DMV cannot take any more, every procedure that has to be done is done in these offices, and there are more and more procedures and the DMV offices cannot handle it… People have spent months desperate trying to renew their licenses and the lines are endless, so in the middle of this chaos, the state congress has decided to extend the validity period of an expired license. Yes, just as you read, you are going to be able to drive with your expired license for a while, not forever, but this is expected to give the offices a bit of breathing room so they can catch up.
The proposal is included in House Bill 821 and has already passed through the Transportation Committee, so soon the validity of licenses that have expired this year will be extended by two years, it is not a definitive solution, we already told you that, but maybe it is the best way to manage this kind of collapse.
A band aid
Getting an appointment to renew a license has become quite an adventure, the waiting lists in North Carolina are endless, and everything got even more complicated when thousands of people started requesting the Real ID before May, because as you know it was mandatory to fly or enter federal buildings.
And since there was no way to go to the DMV, many citizens ended up with expired licenses and zero real chances to renew them on time.
What would this bill allow?
That you keep driving with your expired license (for up to two years) without a single fine if the police stop you. As if it were an extension that lets you live and drive without fear of someone stopping you when you take your kids to school.
Of course, it is not the ideal solution nor does it solve the DMV collapse, but it does prevent people from having to pay fines when it is not their fault that the offices are overflowing.
Whose idea was it?
Jay Adams. He believed it was the best way to fix a DMV failure while trying to stabilize the system, considering that there are hundreds of people who depend on their vehicles every day, so people needed a realistic solution. Is it the best? We do not know, maybe not, but at least, if the DMV cannot handle the requests, it makes no sense to punish them for not having the renewal ready on time.
More hours, more days, more everything
Although saturation is nothing new (because there is always a lot of paperwork to do) the staff has been forced to offer more hours every day and even open on Saturdays to serve the largest number of people before the most important holidays of the year begin.
If your license is about to expire, this is important
If you are already near the expiration limit and there is no way to get an appointment, the best thing is to closely follow any updates about House Bill 821, because you will be able to keep driving without needing to rush to renew… but do not miss the date, okay?
And be careful with the Real ID…
There is no extension here: if you still do not have your Real ID and you plan to fly within the country, you need to process it immediately, because it has been active since May and they will ask for it at all airports.