North Carolinians who have an eligible state ID card can now renew it online two consecutive times without the need for an in-person visit.
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) announced in a press release on Tuesday that the final provision of Senate Bill 245, the “Expand Remote Drivers License Services,” completes a series of enhancements that have allowed nearly 80,000 additional transactions to be completed online in the nine weeks since they were made available.
“This completes the implementation of Senate Bill 245 by bringing the same convenience we’ve extended to driver license holders to state ID customers,” NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine said in the release. “From teen driver upgrades to back-to-back online renewals, these changes are reducing lines at our offices and making government services more accessible for everyone. We’ve seen incredible uptake already — nearly 80,000 additional online renewals in just nine weeks — and we’re excited to build on that momentum.”
In an October press conference, Tine said the state’s DMV offices typically serve about 8,000 people daily, indicating that online renewals had already eased office traffic by more than two full business days.
In the Nov. 25 release of its five-year strategic plan, one of the NCDMV’s priorities is to build a streamlined digital experience. They aim to make 70% of all transactions available for online completion. Currently, it is at 61%. Additionally, 31% of transactions can currently be completed online, but the NCDMV has a goal of increasing it to 50%.
Eligible customers with a non-REAL ID state ID card can renew online two times in a row, and REAL ID state ID card holders can renew them online a second time in a row if the customer has had an in-person transaction since their last renewal including for things like getting a REAL ID, a name change, address change, or a duplicate for a lost ID.
The expansion was rolled out in several phases since SB 245 became law. The first occurred on Oct. 7, when non-REAL ID driver licenses could be renewed online twice in a row. On Oct. 20, REAL ID driver licenses could be renewed online twice in a row if a customer had an in-person transaction since their last renewal. On Nov. 4, teen drivers could upgrade from a Level 2 Limited Provisional License to a Level 3 Full Provisional License entirely online.
The expansion is projected to enable up to 400,000 additional online transactions annually and has been rolled out in phases over the last couple of months: