Iowa drivers may be able to renew their driver’s license for eight years rather than the usual five with new legislation that went into effect Jan. 1. The Iowa Department of Transportation is transitioning to the longer-term driver’s licenses.
Not everyone will receive an eight-year license during the transition. From 2014 through 2018, the DOT’s issuance system will randomly assign customers five-, six-, seven- or eight-year licenses with the intention of equally spreading renewal volumes over an eight-year period.
Details: The yearly fee for licenses will not change. The basic yearly fees remain $4 per year for a noncommercial license, $8 per year for a commercial driver’s license, and $2 per year for a motorcycle endorsement.
Under the new legislation, a license issued to a customer younger than 72 cannot exceed the customer’s 74th birthday. At age 72, licenses shift to two-year renewal periods.
Identification cards will not be included in the phased-in transition. All identification cards issued after Jan. 1, 2014, will be valid for eight years and the fee will be $8.
Visit www.iowadot.gov/mvd/ods/types.htm for more information.
DOT officials estimate that when the shift to eight-year licenses is fully implemented, customer service will improve and customers will save about $3.4 million annually in reduced time and travel to receive services, and save the DOT about $1.8 million annually in resources and production costs.
