Schedule an Office Appointment Online
Don’t want to stand in line? Appointments for in-office license and ID card services can be made online.
To help prevent identity theft and fraud, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles issues driver licenses, learner permits and IDs from a central location and mails them to NCDMV customers in an unmarked envelope.
Note: Applying for a North Carolina driver license or ID card will cancel any licenses or ID cards from other states through the
State-to-State Verification program.
Drivers receive a 60-day Temporary Driving Certificate, and their license, permit or ID card arrives before the certificate expires.
The certificate may be used only for driving purposes. It cannot be used for identification. Drivers may
renew their license or ID as early as six months before their card expires.
Frequently Asked Questions
Answers to some of the most commonly asked questions about how licenses and IDs are issued are listed below. For more information,
contact the NCDMV Customer Contact Center weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Because of concerns across the nation for the need to safeguard the production, manufacturing and issuance of driver licenses, the N.C. General Assembly enacted a law in July 2006 requiring the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles to issue driver licenses, learner permits and IDs from a central location instead of from driver license offices across the state.
A Temporary Driving Certificate contains the same demographic information (e.g., name and address) as a driver license.
If you have not received your driver license before the Temporary Driving Certificate expires, call the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicle customer service at (919) 715-7000 or (919) 861-3555.
Yes, but you can still use your old license as a photo ID until your new license arrives.
If you received the Temporary Driving Certificate when you renewed your license, you will need the certificate as well as unexpired state-issued photo identification to register a vehicle.