DES MOINES, Iowa (WHO-TV) – The Iowa Department of Transportation is urging Iowans to check the expiration date on their driver’s licenses. That’s because the proclamation that suspended the expiration date of driver’s licenses is likely to expire on Friday, Jan. 8.
If your ID has expired or will expire soon, you do have some options. First, see if you can renew your license online. Iowa law only allows you to renew online every other time and there are some age requirements too.
If you aren’t eligible, there is an option to request a six-month extension if needed. It’s also important to keep in mind that 60-day grace period where your license is still valid after the printed expiration date.
Lastly, you can schedule an appointment at any DOT location or county treasurer’s office. Just remember, no walk-ins are being accepted at this time.
“We are still using that appointment model and actually our customers love it,” Melissa Gillett, director of Iowa DOT motor vehicle division, said. “We’re still receiving overwhelmingly positive responses from customers because they can get in and out in about 20 minutes. Our staff love it too, because it gives them so much more predictability of their day, and things just tend to go smoother and a lot calmer.”
Gillett said most locations are about two weeks out so they should have some availability in mid-January. She advises people to check for appointments first thing in the morning.
“Our teams are constantly looking into open door appointments, and we do receive cancellation notices and requests to reschedule,” Gillett said. “We’re also factoring in a no show rate so typically our supervisors are taking a look at that every morning and then opening up additional same day appointments right away the first thing every morning.”
The Iowa DOT hit a milestone during the pandemic with 50-percent of Iowans now having the REAL ID gold star in the upper-righthand corner. The deadline for that was extended to Oct. 1, 2021. If you’d like to get that done, make sure to bring the proper identification. You can use this link to help determine which documents you’ll need to bring with you.