RALEIGH ó Beginning next week, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles will change driver license offices in nine Piedmont counties from over-the-counter to central issuance of driver licenses and ID cards.
The driver license offices in Salisbury, Lexington and Mocksville will close for a half day between Monday and Thursday to prepare for the new process.
– Salisbury, DMV Building, 5780 S. Main St., U.S. 29 S.; will close at noon on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and reopen on Thursday, Aug. 27, at 8 a.m.
– Lexington, DMV Building, 2314 S. Main St., U.S. 29/ 70 Business; will close at 8 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 26, and reopen at 1 p.m.
– Mocksville, 161 Poplar St., Suite 101; will close at 8 a.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, and reopen at 1 p.m.
“The new issuance process will protect against identity theft and address fraud, helping to keep license production secure,” said DMV Commissioner Mike Robertson. “It also means that North Carolina will become one of the top states in the nation for producing secure and trusted driving and identification credentials.”
Under central issuance, customers renewing their licenses or applying for new licenses will continue to visit local offices to take required tests and have their photos made. Rather than receiving their driver licenses over the counter, customers will receive a temporary driving permit valid for 20 days while their personal information is verified and their license or card is processed and mailed to them.
Drivers will be able to keep their current driver license to use for photo identification until they receive their new license.
DMV expects most licenses to be delivered by mail within seven to 10 days and encourages drivers to renew their licenses early to ensure receiving their new licenses prior to the expiration date. Drivers can renew licenses up to six months before their birthday renewal dates.
Applying for or renewing licenses early is important to maintain identification for such activities as boarding plane flights and completing financial transactions. In North Carolina, a valid state-issued driver license is also required to register most vehicles.
Sixteen states have either started or completed their transition to central issuance of driver licenses. Among them, Virginia completed its rollout to 74 offices statewide in June. Georgia plans to begin its rollout this fall.
DMV began phasing in the central issuance program statewide at the end of June in Wake County and now has converted offices in three-quarters of North Carolina’s counties. All 113 DMV offices are expected to be converted to the new program by this fall.