AMES, Iowa -- The clock is ticking for Iowa drivers who's licenses expired after January 16th of this year.
The Iowa Department of Transportation says Governor Kim Reynolds' COVID-19 renewal waiver ends early next month.
"That deadline is January 8, 2021. We are encouraging people who have an expired license to start to schedule appointments with us in our service centers. The other option is to see if they can renew online, which is the better option" says Iowa DOT Driver and Identification Services Director Darcy Doty.
She says drivers who licenses expired last year need to look closely at the date.
"After that January 8, 2021 date, if a person has an expired license that has not exceeded the 60-day grace period comes into play with an expired license, that person risks driving illegally" Doty says.
She says driver's license renewals in Iowa DOT service centers are being done by appointment only.
"We have very few people now waiting in our service center locations because they're all coming by appointment. Once they're checked in, they get called up and for the most part they're in and out in 20 minutes" Doty says.
She says people who want to use those service centers should plan ahead, as scheduling appointment could be as much as three-to-four weeks out, and holiday closures could effect the availability of appointments.