Q: If my driver’s license is expired, do I have a grace period before I can get it renewed or get an ID?
CAROLYN GANSE, MONROE
A: The Georgia Department of Driver Services policy is that if a driver's license is expired more than two years, the driver will need to retest, a spokeswoman told Q&A on the News via email. She added that the DDS urges all drivers to renew before expiration, and it can be done 150 days before the expiration date. Options include using the DDS 2 GO app, which is a free download from the App Store and Google Play, instead of renewing in person at a licensing center.
As long as the driver’s license has the Secure ID star and is not expired over two years, customers can obtain an ID card and surrender their driver’s license. If the driver’s license doesn’t have the Secure ID Star, the customer will need the required documents, such as a U.S. passport, U.S. birth certificate, certificate of naturalization, certificate of citizenship or U.S. military discharge papers, to become Secure ID compliant and obtain a ID card.
“With this in mind, the customer needs to understand they are surrendering their driving privileges by surrendering their (driver’s license) to obtain the ID card,” the spokeswoman wrote.
If the driver wants to keep their driving privileges, the DDS recommends they renew the driver’s license and purchase an ID card as well.
Q&A on the News runs Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
