North Carolinians who need to renew their driver's license in the near future could get a two-year break if a bill moving through the state house this week becomes law.
House Bill 821 passed the House Rules Committee on Tuesday afternoon. That's usually the last stop for bills before a vote on the House floor.
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The proposal would give every license holder a two-year grace period after their license's expiration date to renew it.
Sponsor Rep. Jay Adams, R-Catawba, said it’s a response to ongoing problems at the state Department of Motor Vehicles, but it's not a solution in itself.
"This simply gives the citizens of North Carolina some relief from the fact that they can't renew their licenses, and it does also relieve the burden on DMV so that they can sort out their issues," Adams told the committee.
The bill also includes funds to study the problems plaguing the DMV and come up with solutions.
"We have to have a nimble Department of Motor Vehicles because this state's growing like crazy, and we can't have this situation persist," Adams said.
However, Adams said drivers should still get their licenses renewed as soon as they can, because driving with an expired license in another state could result in a ticket.
Rep. Reece Pyrtle, R-Rockingham, a retired police chief, said that's a big potential pitfall.
"That's a huge burden, to get a ticket in another state and then have to go to court," Pyrtle said, recommending "some sort of sticker" to let law enforcement in other states know expired NC licenses are still valid for two years.
Rep. Amos Quick, D-Guilford, pointed out an expired license would also cause a problem for someone renting a car.
Adams said he's hopeful new DMV commissioner Paul Tine will get the agency back on track quickly so drivers won't need to risk encountering these potential problems.
"It puts pressure on DMV to act because they're losing the revenue from the people not renewing their licenses," Adams added.