Answer Man: A whole bunch of DMV questions? Slow license renewals?

Today’s batch of burning questions, my smart-aleck answers and the real deal:

Question: I am a 90-year-old. I applied for and received a new North Carolina temporary driver’s license on Nov. 18, 2020. In all these many months, I have never received my permanent license, and this temporary one expired on Jan. 18, 2021. I have sent several emails and tried to call, but they are impossible to reach to try to find out why I have not received my permanent license. I carry the attached document with me, which might get me a reprieve from driving with an expired driver’s license, but if I travel outside the state the officer might not be so generous. Please use your extraordinary prowess for getting to the bottom of things to discover the problem.

My answer: I swear I do not make these questions up, but if I did, I would absolutely refer to my "extraordinary prowess" as often as possible. 

Real answer: This series of questions got sort of interesting. I actually had three older folks emailing me about license woes, and the DMV spokesman said he needed their names, addresses and contact information before he could answer any specific questions about their cases.

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The DMV has reached out to these folks since then, and they're trying to work this out. But as I told the spokesman, I'm not really here to get folks belated customer service.

So I sent the DMV a whole list of more general questions, and a second spokesman, Steve Abbott, knocked most of them out. Here they are:

• Does the N.C. DMV send out notifications to drivers telling them their license is going to expire?

"Yes, renewal notification letters are sent to the address listed on the license," Abbott said. "Since DMV items are not forwarded by the post office for security reasons, if someone has moved and did not update their license address, they will not receive that letter. If they create an account with the on-line payment system, they can request email reminders/notifications."

• Does the N.C. DMV send out notices to drivers telling them their license has expired? Why or why not? Has this policy changed in 2021 or 2020?

No, and there has not been a change in policy," Abbott said. "As mentioned above, drivers already get reminder notices to renew, which tells them the license is going to expire. And for several reasons there are customers who opt not to renew their license (such as they no longer drive, the driver has passed away, they moved out of state, etc.). It is an option for the driver whether to remain licensed."

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• Is the DMV having problems with its license renewal portal online? If so, please explain. 

"No. There are restrictions on who can renew their license online, and that is referenced on the renewal web page..." Abbott said.

That page states that someone who meets any of the following must visit an N.C. DMV driver license office:

• Has a suspended license or outstanding debt with N.C. DMV.
• Has a restriction other than "Corrective Lenses" on their driver license and/or “24” on their full provisional license.
• Needs to renew a commercial driver licenses, regular Class A or B driver license,​ limited provisional license, limited learner permit or learner permit.
• Has a U.S. government document indicating legal presence.
• Has used the online system for the previous renewal. Individuals​ can only use the online system every other license renewal.​

If your ID is expired, you also have to visit an office.

The DMV has not responded via email to license renewal applicants from the Asheville area for several months. Does the DMV respond to emails sent via its web portal or otherwise? Why or why not? 

"If you are referencing the online Contact Us system, the driver license category gets as many as 5,000-6,000 emails a week, and with a smaller staff available to answer them because of COVID-related impacts, the response time is taking considerably longer than in the past, depending on the issue," Abbott said. "If someone is simply asking how to do something, and for whatever reason have not checked the DMV website or were unable to locate what they need, the answer can usually be sent shortly after it is read. But if it is an issue specific to that driver, the DMV customer service agent may have to request additional personal information and that can be a back and forth that takes time, and adding to the delay."

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How many North Carolina DMV employees statewide have been laid off in 2020? In 2021? How many North Carolina DMV employees have been laid off in Asheville in 2020? In 2021?

Abbott said no DMV employees were laid off in 2020 or this year, either statewide or in Asheville. "We instead are trying to hire more employees," Abbott said.

Will a driver’s expired temporary license be honored as a valid license during a traffic stop, if the driver can show he/she has tried to get a permanent license? Why or why not?

That's going to be a question for the various law enforcement agencies that may pull you over, Abbott said. He did offer a helpful tip, though.

"If a driver knows his or her license number, they can log in at https://edmv.ncdot.gov/MyDMV/MyDMVAccount/Login and their DMV info should pop up, including their picture," Abbott said. "If the license has been updated in the system, it would show that with the new expiration date. It is not a license, but can be printed out as proof someone has a valid license if asked. It is essentially the same info a law enforcement officer would check."

This is the opinion of John Boyle. To submit a question, contact him at 232-5847 or jboyle@citizen-times.com