Texans whose licenses expired during COVID-19 can now renew them

If your driver license expired in the midst of the pandemic and you need to renew, the Texas Department of Public Safety announced it is expanding its in-person services and offering Saturday appointments across the state.

In May, DPS announced an appointment solution and now all service offices are available by appointment only.

According to DPS, Nearly 700,000 Texans had their licenses expire while offices were closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The closure has created a backlog of customers needing to renew their licenses. The expansion of in-person services, as well as the addition of Saturday appointments specifically for renewal and replacement transactions, are both designed to help alleviate this backlog and provide Texans with the services they need most.

Initially, the appointments were only available for first-time Texas DLs, commercial driver licenses, learner licenses or identification cards, as well as those who needed to take a driving test. Now, if your ID, driver license, commercial driver licenses or election identification certification card expired on or after March 13, 2020, it falls under the period covered by the State of Disaster Declaration related to COVID-19 and will remain valid for 60 days after which time DPS issues a public notice that the extension period for the disaster declaration has been lifted.

This 60 day notice has not been issued, and Texans still have time to conduct their renewal transactions.

According to the DPS office, the Saturday appointments available for drivers are for renewals and replacements only.

Customers can schedule appointments and check availability online through the DL appointment scheduler. The department plans to continue to add Saturday availability into the appointment system in the coming weeks.

If you would like to schedule an appointment, you can schedule as up to six month in advance.

What to do when you get to your appointment

On appointment day, customers can check-in using the kiosk inside the office or from their phone. Customers can only check-in up to 30 minutes before the appointment, due to social distancing requirements related to COVID-19. Drivers who arrive more than 30 minutes in advance will be asked to stay in their cars until it's time to check-in.

As a reminder, the fee is the same for online, in-person and telephone renewals. Address changes and replacement of a lost DL or ID can also be taken care of online (or by mail) in many instances. Find out if you are eligible for online services by visiting Texas.gov.

The video above is from a previous story.