You don’t have to go to the DMV: California extends license renewals for coronavirus outbreak
The California Department of Motor Vehicles announced on Tuesday it will allow drivers under age 70 with an expiring license to delay renewal until the end of May. That grace period applies to drivers whose licenses expire in March, April and May.
The department also will allow commercial drivers with expiring licenses and certifications until the end of June before requiring renewal. That extension doesn’t include medical certificates for commercial drivers.
The DMV said drivers whose renewal date falls in the months covered will automatically be given the extension, and will not receive a new card or an extension in the mail. The department said it has alerted California law enforcement about the extensions.
The DMV is offering drivers a free temporary paper extension online if they want to have documentation of the extension.
Earlier this month, the DMV gave drivers age 70 and older a 120-day extension for noncommercial licenses. Extensions are being sent in the mail.
The DMV said it is continuing to process online renewals, and it is encouraging eligible drivers to renew their license that way.
DMV field offices had initially remained open during the early weeks of the coronavirus spread, but were closed late last month amid fears expressed by consumers about crowded waiting rooms. It also canceled behind-the-wheel drive tests.
Most DMV field office workers are on the job, and receiving training in how to conduct more consumer transactions online.
The department has stepped up its efforts to conduct more online business, via an expanded service called the Virtual Field Office at virtual.dmv.ca.gov. For online services, drivers can also go to dmv.ca.gov.
The federal government in March extended the national deadline for drivers to obtain REAL ID cards. The new deadline is Oct. 1, 2021. After that date, California’s former driver license card will not be allowed as identification for domestic flights at federal Transportation Security Administration airport checkpoints. Instead, fliers will have to have a REAL ID card issued by the DMV, or a passport, or some other form of federal ID.
This story was originally published April 14, 2020 at 4:16 PM with the headline "You don’t have to go to the DMV: California extends license renewals for coronavirus outbreak."