Due to COVID-19, Minnesota Has Enabled Online Drivers License Renewal

[MineralMan]

Minnesota DLs last for four years. Renewal always has meant a visit to a contract motor vehicle agent, a new photo and an eye test. This year, they are allowing online renewal, which I just completed. The only drawback to this is that you can't switch from an ordinary license to a Real ID license using the process. No matter, because I have a passport that doesn't expire until 2029, so I'll use that at airports and any federal buildings I need to visit.

I'm amazed that they figured out how to manage to do this. The website data entry forms are clunky, but if you pay attention and read the instructions, you can get it right on the first try. Payment is made by direct withdrawal from your bank account. No credit or debit card payments are accepted. However, I did not have to stand in line at a nearby City Hall to renew the licence, for which I am very grateful during this pandemic.

Good job, Minnesota!

[dalton99a]

1. Most states allow online renewals

typically every other renewal cycle (to make sure the photo is somewhat current)

[Lars39]

2. I haven't tried to renew a drivers licence, only tag renewal.

TN waived the emissions test for now. We were finally able to renew our tags without it. My car was in limbo for a while.

[MineralMan]

8. For some reason, Minnesota doesn't have any emissions testing requirement.

I remember several times in California when I had older cars that wouldn't pass the tests. Often, the needed repairs would cost more than the car was worth, so that was that for those cars. Off to the junkyard with them.

[Lars39]

12. Only certain counties in TN does.

We live near Nashville so our vehicles have to pass emissions. Nashville can get bad air quality due to it being surrounded by higher bluffs etc., like it's the center of a bowl.

[subterranean]

18. Washington ended emissions testing this year.

They told me, when I got my car tested for the final time last year, that the cars and air quality now are clean enough that emissions tests are no longer necessary.

[Silent3]

3. In my state (NH) an eye exam is needed to renew your license

Not every time you renew, but every other time. You can renew once by mail (and maybe online by now too) for another five-year span, but then they want to take a new picture of you, and give you an eye exam, for the next five years after that.

[MineralMan]

6. In MN, you have to have the eye exam for every renewal.

I don't mind that, but right now I don't want to wait at the agency for a renewal.

So, I'm glad they put this into effect for the pandemic.

[Silent3]

9. So, how does that work?

You go to your own eye doctor, and somehow submit the results to the state?

The eye exam we have is a very basic, simple test done at the DMV.

[MineralMan]

10. It's just a vision chart in a machine.

If you don't pass that, then you have to see an eye doctor and get some sort of certification. I don't have vision problems, so it has never applied to me, really.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

4. I'm surprised. I have a rare genetic condition...

... that causes blindness, so it would be convenient for someone like me to renew a driver's license that way despite being legally blind.

It's unusual, though, so it's surely a better policy overall during the pandemic.

I met a legally blind guy from Arizona at a convention, and he showed off his valid Arizona driver's license to me. They renew every 25 years?! Wow!

His sister was with him, angry that he still had a valid license, and she tried to snatch it out of his hands.

His sister was an actress named Jessica Harper (also legally blind now).
https://m.imdb.com/name/nm0363888/

She looked at me suspiciously at one point, after telling them I was from Ohio, and said, "I hope that you're not voting for Bush! He's against stem cell research!" Uh, no! Of course I wasn't going to vote for him!

[marmar]

5. We've had online renewal in Michigan for many years

[MineralMan]

7. Minnesota never has, as far as I know.

This was a special deal due to the pandemic.

[NewJeffCT]

11. Some states have been allowing people to get driver's licenses

without the final road test - as long as they passed the written test and have the required hours of driving practice.

(My state is NOT allowing that, but other states have been - my daughter has been delayed in getting her license)

[RhodeIslandOne]

13. Rhode Island has had online license and registration renewal for awhile

And we are a state that prides itself on crying about anything DMV related.

The only reason I went to the DMV this time around was to get the new "Real ID".

[Buckeye_Democrat]

15. Wow, I'm so surprised given the possible vision problems.

It's personal for me, so I have to remind myself that the vast majority of people are privileged with good eyesight.

[R B Garr]

14. This a great reminder since I need to get my DL renewed soon, but

I've heard the Real ID documentation isn't easy to figure out. I've put it off because of Covid closures, but it's time to get started. Thanks MM. Glad to hear you got this done so easily.

[Buckeye_Democrat]

16. I think I took...

... a certified birth certificate, a photo ID (current driver's license) and proof of address (utility bill) to get mine.

I'm not blind yet! (Only in one eye.)

Edit: Oh, and my SS card.

[R B Garr]

17. Thanks! I luckily just found my birth certificate during some pandemic cleaning

we've all been doing, but I was worried about the proof of address since I have a PO Box on my current DL.

I'll take the utility bill if it's that easy -- thank you. Now I just have to find the SS card, uh oh...

[MuseRider]

19. I had to go back in several times.

I had everything they wanted but they could not feel the embossed seal on my birth certificate AND it was a black and white sheet and did not look right. They wanted me to go get a real one. It WAS the real one. Every kid in my family had one like that and after being folded away for 66 years the embossing was not really apparent. I had photo ID and they would not accept that I did not live at the address that I was brought home from the hospital. I was back and forth I gave them every document I have ever saved including a check stub from a gig I played several weeks before I went in. Then after they were ready to give my a new license they decided I did not weigh what my last license said, well DUH! So in that huge warehouse of a building it was announced that I had gained a few since my last license, wink wink. Jesus. After all that they said they would have it in the mail in a few days. It never came but out here I do not ever rely on mail getting to me so I called and around and around we went again. I had 2 temp licenses before I got the real one but they had forgotten the Real ID star so back I went........my husband walked in the door for his, I was waiting in the car, and he was back out in 10 minutes and they let him keep his old picture because, "Really other than a few more gray hairs you look spectacular." I hate people.

[R B Garr]

20. Thank you for this info! I remember my husband looked

into it and he told me there might be a problem with our PO Box and home address, maybe something like they wanted a picture ID with our home address. Our DLs have our PO Box, so there’s maybe an extra step. It was something like that which was glitchy.

I sure hope they don’t notice the extra weight on my current DL. Not looking forward to this. Thx for the info.

[MuseRider]

21. I took a folder

full of documents and when one was not "right" I produced another. I had heard they were not exactly easy on women, why I have no idea since most of them in that office were women. The funniest part that I left out was that I sat there and watched people who came after me get called. I went up to the lady and questioned her and she said she put it in and wait my turn. I waited an hour in total, went back up (they were busy) and told her if my number did not come up in the next 5 minutes I was leaving and we would have to go through this all over again and she found my number, she had forgotten to put it in. I normally do not have a lot of problems if there are women involved but this was a mess.

[R B Garr]

22. Thanks for the heads-up about this. A folder is a great idea. Bring a couple

pieces of mail, etc. I really like that idea.

I forget about even making an appointment! I probably can't do all this online, so an appointment will be needed. I hope you were okay waiting around with everyone and felt protected enough. I went to the Triple AAA to get registration tags when they opened back up, and everyone waited outside, properly distanced, etc. But the DMV is a whole different trip, lol. We'll see.

Great info!

[MuseRider]

23. This was in December

before this all became a known problem. I was fine. Please YOU take care. I would guess they want to see all of that in person for your special ID. I admit I do not really like this idea added to a source of ID that was already OK. Oh well.

Stay safe, I hope there are no lines so you can zip on through.

[R B Garr]

24. Ah, December explains it. Thanks again for the

advice. This has been a great reminder thread.