Effective October 1st, Renewal Period Will Begin to Migrate From 5-Year To 8-Year Term
GLEN BURNIE, Md.—Beginning this month, October 2012, the Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) extends the validity of driver’s licenses and identification cards from 5 to 8 years. The conversion to the 8 year driver’s licenses will be implemented over the next few years.
During the phase-in period, individuals renewing their driver’s licenses customers will be assigned a license duration of between 5 – 8 years, depending on the MVA’s computer generated selection process. The gradual conversion is necessary to effectively transfer Maryland’s more than 4.1 million drivers to the new eight-year-term. The number of driver’s in Maryland has been steadily growing each year with almost 150,000 new drivers added to the State in the past decade.
The growing number of licensed drivers combined with equally rising numbers of registered vehicles, is projected to put increasing strain on the MVA’s ability to provide fast and efficient customer service. The extension to eight year renewals allows for future growth of licensees while adding the customer convenience of reducing the frequency with which customers will need to visit the MVA.
To accomplish this, a computer program will randomly select those with expiring licenses for renewal lengths of five, six, seven, or eight years. All renewals will expire on the applicant's birthday. There is no fee increase in this program as the cost of renewal will be tied to the length of the renewal and will maintain the current annual rate.
The fee for a Maryland driver’s license is priced at $6.00 per year:
-- 5-year driver license - $30.00
-- 6-year driver license - $36.00
-- 7-year driver license - $42.00
-- 8-year driver license - $48.00
Identification cards for individuals 18 years of age and older, who apply or renew after October 1, 2012 will receive an ID that is valid for 8 years. The fee for the ID card is $24.00 which equates to the current price of $3.00 per year.
Driver’s license and identification card renewals are offered online through the MVA’s website: http://www.mva.maryland.gov/, available twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. The MVA also offers vehicle registration renewals, changes of address, the scheduling of a driver’s skills test, personalized license plates, certified driving record and many more transactions online.
Source: MVA