DPS: Time is now to renew DL or ID card
Feb. 25—The Texas Department of Public Safety has officially issued the 60-day notice that the COVID-19-related waiver on expiration dates for driver licenses and ID cards ends April 14.
DPS continues to urge customers to make an appointment or renew online as soon as possible.
To assist drivers with expired licenses who are unable to schedule an appointment before the April 14 deadline, DPS has announced that those who have a renewal appointment scheduled after the deadline will be able to request a temporary driving permit that will be valid until their appointment date.
For additional details on that procedure, visit the DPS website at https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license.
The expiration waiver, originally granted by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, applied to driver licenses, commercial DLs, commercial learner permits, ID cards and election ID certificates that expired on or after March 13, 2020.
Many Texans are eligible to skip the trip to the office entirely by renewing their DL/ID card or changing their address online at Texas.gov. Customers can also renew by phone at 1-866-357-3639. The requirements and cost for online and phone renewal are the same as in-person transactions. If you schedule an appointment, you will also be notified if you are eligible to renew online.
To assist customers needing in-office DL services, designated high-volume offices including Denton and Wichita Falls are offering expanded hours from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Friday.
Services at driver license offices are now conducted by appointment only. To schedule an appointment or check availability, visit the online appointment scheduler. If you are unable to find an appointment at the office of your choice, check back for availability at that office or other locations nearby. Ps advises drivers to check often as availability does change.
If you are unable to make your scheduled appointment, you're asked to reschedule or cancel it ahead of time. While the department is working to serve as many customers as possible, people not showing up for their appointments continues to be a major obstacle, according to the DPS. In December 2020, about 31% of people or more than 167,000 customers were reportedly no-shows for their appointments.
Customers can book appointments for a specific day and time, up to six months in advance, and show up 30 minutes or less before their scheduled time. Customers can check-in using the kiosk inside the office or from their cellphone.
All offices offer a limited number of same-day appointments that are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers who book those appointments can leave the DL office until their designated time.
Most offices also offer customers without an appointment a spot on a "standby" list, but you must wait in the office in case of a cancellation or no-show. The number of standby appointments available is limited to ensure everyone on standby will be served by the end of the day.
COVID-19 protocols have been implemented at DL offices.
