Santa Cruz Motorists Get Extension On Expiring Driver Licenses

SANTA CRUZ, CA — Is your driver license set to expire? The Capitola Department of Motor Vehicles office — which is closed due to coronavirus — is cutting you some slack.

The California DMV Department of Motor Vehicles announced Tuesday it is extending driver licenses expiring during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Licenses for drivers younger than 70 that expire between March and May 2020 are now valid through May 31, 2020, according to the state agency.

The DMV has alerted California law enforcement of the extensions, so you won’t get ticketed if pulled over. The extensions require no action on your part and you won’t get any notification in the mail. But if you really want documentation, the DMV is letting drivers request a free temporary paper extension online.

There are no additional or late fees associated with the driver license extension.

All commercial driver licenses, endorsements and certificates expiring between March and June 2020 are now valid through June 30, 2020, aligning with a recent emergency declaration from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, the DMV announced. (The extension does not include medical certificates for commercial drivers, which requires additional administrative actions scheduled in the near future.)

Californians with a suspended license are not eligible for any extension, so don’t expect a pass when you ask the officer, “Why did I get pulled over?”

Although the extension is offered, you don’t have to get it. The DMV continues to process online renewals.

With your brick-and-mortar DMV at 4200 Capitola Road shuttered due to COVID-19, a statewide Virtual DMV Field Office has been set up: virtual.dmv.ca.gov. It builds on the other online services already available to DMV customers at dmv.ca.gov, including driver license renewals.

Driver license extensions aren’t the only DMV passes during the COVID-19 pandemic. These are also in place:

• A 120-day extension for drivers age 70 and older has been granted. Drivers age 70 and older with expiring noncommercial licenses are receiving an extension in the mail automatically.
• Temporarily waiving the required in-person renewals for eligible driver license and identification card holders with expirations in March, April, and May 2020. Individuals who meet the criteria are able to renew online or by mail.

Vehicle registrations can still be conducted online here but there are no extensions offered. If the DMV tells you a smog check is required, there are no extensions on that one either, despite the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Anita Gore, deputy director, Office of Public Affairs, California DMV. Find more information about DMV smog check requirements, click here.