Due to the coronavirus pandemic, California residents ages 70 and older with non-commercial driver licenses will be able to renew their licenses online or by mail beginning Dec. 6. This temporary waiver will allow drivers in the oldest and most at-risk age group to avoid personal visits to a California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) office.
Licenses that expire from March 1, 2020, until the state’s COVID-19 emergency is declared over are eligible.
The waiver comes from an executive order signed by Governor Gavin Newsom. The DMV is currently completing the computer programming necessary for eligible customers to complete their renewals online beginning Dec. 6.
Drivers ages 69 and younger were already eligible to renew online, even if their DMV notification states they must come to an office.
The DMV previously provided a yearlong extension to senior drivers with noncommercial licenses expiring March through December 2020; those drivers will also be eligible to renew online.
Customers applying for a REAL ID are encouraged to fill out the online application and upload the required documents before they come to an office for expedited service.
The DMV recommends customers use its online services, expanded virtual services and other service channels to complete as many transactions as possible; not only for driver license renewals, but for vehicle registration renewals, as well. Customers can use the Service Advisor on the DMV website to see their options for completing DMV tasks.
To renew a license, go to dmv.ca.gov/portal/driver-licenses-identification-cards/driver-license-id-card-online-renewal w.lacounty.gov by Dec. 14, 2020.