Minnesota Driver's License COVID-19 Extension Ending Soon

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If your driver's license or Minnesota ID card is expired and you've been waiting to get it renewed, time is officially running out.

That's the word from the Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services (DPS-DVS). They said in a release Wednesday (January 27) that the COVID-19 extension-- which first went into effect last spring when the pandemic started and state offices and license centers closed-- is set to expire on March 31st.

That means if you have a Minnesota driver’s license or ID cards that would have expired between March 13, 2020, and Feb. 28th this year, you'll need to get them renewed before the end of March. That's because the expiration date on these cards was extended to March 31, 2021, thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Walz last spring. And ahead of that deadline, if you have a driver’s license or ID card that is set to expire March 1st or after, you'll need to get it renewed by the expiration date listed on your card.

It's actually pretty easy to do-- you can even do most (or all of it) online at the DPS-DVS website. (Click HERE for more information.) Or, of course, you renew in person at a regional DVS exam station, deputy registrar or driver’s license agent office.

Keep in mind, though, that the federal REAL ID law goes into effect starting this October for Minnesotans, meaning that in order to board domestic flights or enter a federal facility, you'll either need a new REAL ID, an enhanced driver’s license or ID card, a passport or passport card or another acceptable form of identification for federal purposes.

I applied for a new REAL ID with Olmsted County at Government Center in Rochester when my license expired last November. Their new online check-in system made it REALLY easy, and I actually just got my new REAL ID card in the mail last week. (They estimate it takes about 2 months after you apply to get your new ID). If you're not sure if you want a REAL ID, click here to use Minnesota's online Help Me Choose a License/ID too to decide which driver’s license or ID card is the best fit for you.

And speaking of driving, have you driven on the Must-Drive road here in Minnesota... or Wisconsin... or Iowa? Keep scrolling to see the most amazing roads in all 50 states!

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