DMV reopens by appointment, grace period for expired licenses still in effect

Oregon’s Driver and Motor Vehicles Services Division in Salem. (The Associated Press/File)

For those Oregonians aching to get out, one state agency has an exciting proposition: Book an appointment with the DMV.

Yes, instead of taking a number and sitting inside a waiting room, Oregon’s DMV offices are requiring customers call their DMV to schedule an in-person appointment as dozens of its offices are reopening.

On Monday, Oregonians will be able to call to schedule a time that is ”most convenient for you” to get DMV business done at some 40 offices across the state. Appointments will start June 3.

In-person appointments will only be permitted for a handful of needs – those that are doable online or via mail will not be available in person. And state officials are urging those who don’t urgently need assistance to wait until later in the summer. The appointment system is scheduled to be in place indefinitely as the transportation agency monitors its offices.

“Our first priority is the people who were unable to get the services we can do only in person,” such those who need to replace a lost driver license or ID, obtain a commercial driver licenses, take a driving knowledge test or have their driving privileges reinstated, DMV Administrator Tom McClellan said in a statement. “Please be patient and expect longer than normal wait times on the phone and for an available appointment. If you can wait to renew until later in the summer, please consider waiting so that appointments are available for those who need them most.”

These are the service available:

• Driver licensing and ID cards – originals, renewals and replacements, including passenger car and commercial licenses, and instruction permits
• Driver knowledge tests
• Driving privilege reinstatements
• Disabled parking placards
• VIN inspections for new-to-Oregon vehicles previously titled elsewhere
• Farm endorsements

DMVs have been reconfigured to meet social distance guidelines, with lobby furniture spaced out, extra cleaning measures in place and plastic shields at every workstation.

This was supposed to be the summer from hell for the state transportation agency and Oregonians who rely on it anyway, due to the expected crunch created by its slow-footed approach to adopt the federal Real ID guidelines mandating uniform standards for driver’s licenses nationwide.

The coronavirus pandemic threw the state of Oregon a life raft, ultimately leading President Trump to delay implementing the federal Real ID requirements until October 2021. The law requires that air passengers have a new federal ID or a passport to board an airplane. State officials in Oregon expected as many as 960,000 Oregonians would want one of the new IDs, which weren’t scheduled to be available until July 6.

The state still plans to start issuing Real ID-compliant licenses July 6, and yes, you can schedule an appointment to get one.

In the meantime, the law enforcement world is still permitting a grace period for expired licenses, permits and vehicle registration. That hasn’t changed despite the new reservation system, DMV officials said. DEQ inspection stations remain closed statewide until at least June 15.

“As we begin offering in-person services by appointment starting June 3, we’ll be closely monitoring how quickly we’re able to work through the backlog and working with law enforcement to determine when the grace period will end,” said Tom Fuller, Oregon Department of Transportation spokesman. “For now, Oregonians are asked to schedule an appointment only if absolutely necessary to leave appointment slots for priority transactions.”

Fuller said the state would provide “ample notice and communication before the grace period is set to end.”

Customers are asked to go to their appointment alone, unless a teenage driver is involved and a parent or guardian is needed or if a patron needs language translation assistance from a friend or family member. The state is asking people to cancel appointments if they are ill or reschedule if they “have flu-like symptoms.”