NC drivers license renewal period could change with new Senate bill
A bill that would have temporarily extended the expiration dates of North Carolina driver’s licenses by up to two years stalled in the House this spring.
Now the idea has been resurrected in the Senate, tucked into a larger transportation bill.
Senate Bill 391 would create a “temporary moratorium” on license expiration, giving drivers up to two extra years to renew without worrying about getting a ticket for an expired license. The measure is designed to help the Division of Motor Vehicles deal with a backlog of people trying to get their licenses renewed in person and help drivers who can’t get an appointment or get into an office before theirs expire.
Two committees approved the Senate bill Tuesday. It now goes to the Senate Rules Committee, usually the final step before reaching the full Senate.
House Bill 821 creating a license moratorium passed through the House Rules Committee on May 13, a week after Paul Tine became the new commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles. The bill was scheduled for a vote in the full House but then withdrawn and sent back to the rules committee, where it languished.
The Senate version is nearly identical. Michael Lazarra, a Republican from Onslow County and co-chair of the Senate Transportation Committee, said it would buy the DMV time as Tine works to improve operations and reduce wait times at driver’s license offices.
“We’re trying to eliminate the bottleneck at the DMV, while the commissioner implements some new strategies and tools,” Lazarra told members of the committee last week.
How the NC driver’s license moratorium would work
The two-year grace period would expire at the end of 2027 and would apply only to Class C driver’s licenses. It would not be available to people whose license has been canceled, revoked or suspended.
A standard Class C driver’s license is good for eight years in North Carolina and can be renewed online for another eight. But after 16 years, a driver must visit a DMV office to renew again, because the law requires that they get an updated photo.
New residents, first-time drivers and those seeking their first REAL ID also must do their business in person, adding to lines that have become common at DMV driver’s license offices. The agency currently makes appointments up to 90 days in advance, but they fill up quickly.
The House bill sailed through committees, though some lawmakers noted the bill’s shortcomings.
While the measure would prevent someone from getting a ticket for driving with an expired license in North Carolina, it probably won’t do any good outside the state, said Rep. Jay Adams, a Republican from Catawba County and one of its primary sponsors.
“It doesn’t solve all your problems because you don’t want to be driving into South Carolina, Tennessee or Virginia with an expired license,” Adams said. “So you are under pressure to renew your license when you can.”
It’s also not clear how car rental companies or others that require a license in other states would handle an expired North Carolina license.
This story was originally published June 17, 2025 at 4:51 PM.
