Did you check your driver's license expiration date?

Thanks for the reminder Mardee !

Here in California, once you're over 70 years old, one needs to take a written test to renew. I had this wonderful experience last year for the first time. All went well, but I took the studying seriously and spent considerably time going thru the practice tests. It's not all common sense questions, there are specific detailed questions. Eg, " how many feet before a turn does one need to turn on the turn signal"?
Mardee, thanks once again for your helpful tips! Happy New Years!

Pat—is the answer for the turn signal 100 feet? I got my first DL in California in 1963 and am trying to remember. .

We just a conversation with my husband’s high school friends about the after-70 drivers’ test. I actually don’t know what the age limit for test-free renewal, is here in Washington, but I suspect my husband will be facing this at his next renewal. I am going to go check his renewal date now.

We had to do that for B on our last trip. I was pleasantly surprised how early we are able to renew in Minnesota.

Washington will allow almost anyone to renew with no test required. My father had a valid drivers license years after we pulled his keys due to his increasing dementia.

Interesting in NZ you just need an eye sight test at 75 - but at 80 they do a dementia test ie count backwards from 100 in 7's ! Yeah I couldn't do it either. If you fail that you have to do a practical test. Fortunately I found example tests online so have started telling older friends.

Mardee, thanks for the reminder. My license expires 3 days after I will get home from an 11 week trip in the late summer/Fall. I wonder if they will let me renew before I go?

I wonder if they will let me renew before I go?

Andrea, I think each state is different. Minnesota lets you renew anytime during the year it expires, so I can renew in January. But I just did a google search for California renewals, and it said CA lets you renew up to six months before expiration. You might want to check that but it sounds like it's possible.

We had to do that for B on our last trip. I was pleasantly surprised how early we are able to renew in Minnesota.

mnannie, Yes, and I'm very happy about that!

Good reminder! Thanks! I'm glad you caught your expiration date!

I just renewed mine in August. In Idaho once you are over 70 you have to go in for an eye test and I assume the clerk is also doing an assessment. Under 70 you can renew for 8 years, over 70 you are limited to 4.

Pam, that's nice that you can renew for 8 years under 70. Minnesota is 4 years, but they don't have an age restriction for renewal either. Not sure if that's a plus or not. 😊 I guess for me it is, but I do shudder to think of how many older people with dementia or bad vision are careening all over the state.

Carol NR, we did the same thing with my dad, who had Alzheimer's. My mom kept putting it off because she knew he would be upset, but we finally pointed out to her the liability involved if he caused an accident while driving.

I wonder if they will let me renew before I go?

I renewed my CA license a couple of years before it was due for renewal to get the Real ID. That turned out to be a waste since they still aren't required, but at the time I didn't want to risk forgetting my passport when I regularly fly within the US.

Thanks for the reminder Mardee. This happened to my husband on a business trip years ago. Upon landing at his final destination airport he went to the rental car desk. He was not able to rent a car as his driver's license had expired. I can't recall how long the license had been e expired but it was more than a couple weeks. He ended up taking a cab all week to get around. Not sure how the company reimbursed him for his transportation that week. He promptly renewed after arriving home. His birthday is coming up in a couple months. I think he'd better check his renewal date!

Traveler Girl

Ack! I just nearly had a heart attack!

My wallet was out in the car, so I grabbed my phone to look at the picture of my license that I keep in an album of 'Documents'. Expired in 2020! Could I have been driving illegally for 3 years‽ (Despite having rented cars in the meantime?!)

I ran out I the car, and fortunately, it's just the photo that's expired. 2028 on the real thing. I guess it's time to file an updated picture!

I just renewed mine back in February or so. I am in my 50's, and they asked me if I wanted to renew for 4 years or 8. Why would I not want to do 8 years??? I asked what the price difference was, and he said it was the same price. Crazy!

My mom's license expired this summer, and I took her to the DMV to get an ID card instead. That was an absolute zoo/fiasco! We had an appointment, but that meant nothing as they Tod everyone to just get in line. I don't remember how many hours we were there, but it was awful for her. I wish they had something better figured out for the elderly/dementia that can't comprehend the whole ordeal.

I need to check my husbands license now to see when his expires.

I have learned my lesson the hard way!! Went to Florida.and coming back luckily was able to get on flight with drivers license that had just expired. Planning our trip this summer my husband wss checking our travel documents and my passport was expiring in three months. Just before our trip and luckily we received the renewal about two weeks before our trip. We now make it our New Years resolution every year on 1/1 we check everything. Don't want to be burned again.

I went to the Texas DPS to renew my driver's license just a few days before Covid shut the world down in March 2020. But you made me look! I've still got a few years to go.

Slightly off topic, but, especially if you will be on a long trip, remember to check your debit and credit card expiration dates as well.

travelergirl, yikes! At least it was only a week. I have 3 weeks with my rental car and I would have to have to switch to public transport at the last minute! No thanks!

Scudder, ha! Better that the photo expires than the license, though!

mikliz97, I wish we could renew for 8 years. This will be my 3rd license in 3 years. I had to get one when I moved from Ohio to MN, but because of Covid, it took forever (especially since the dept. shut down for a number of months). Then when we moved to this house, I had (by law) to get a new license. And now another one. Sigh. At least I'll get a new photo this time.

Gail, that was lucky - and that's a good idea about checking once a year!

Est. Prophet! Ha ha - glad it's still good!

In Pennsylvania there are no tests for any age once you have a license. The 4 year vs 8 year licenses for Seniors the cost is the same per year but some seniors do not want to spend the money to renew for the longer period because they are afraid they will not be able to drive that long (or live that long).

This is funny because my daughter went with me to the bank so that I could add her to my account. We had to show driver's licenses and she was like, this picture is when I was in my 20s ( she is now twice that age) and I was like this says I weigh 130 lbs. We all had a good laugh.

Mardee,
Thanks for the heads up! Here in Ca you get a notice of renewal about two months before your license expires, so you shouldn't get caught flat-footed. I am turning 80, and my photo was 5 years old, so I renewed mine in October (expiration was set for January)
One thing to remember, the info on my license exp. date might need to updated on my Global Entry system. I will check that out, just as I will need to put my renewed passport number in that system as well. Glad to be "legal" for the next few years!
Overall, the process (registration,testing, eye test, etc.) went very smoothly, in spite of a computer shutdown citywide that had some offices having to double up on services. Every person I dealt with there was pleasant, friendly and professional. Sometimes the staff at govt. bureaus and depts. get a bad rap, but it went well for me, and I hope it goes well for any of you that need to renew soon.

Bob, same in Minnesota - no restrictions although we're limited to a 4 year license. We can get a Senior designation on our license, which I do - that helps with senior discounts sometimes.

Leslie, so you're saying they don't change the photo when you renew? That seems unusual.

Judy, you get a notice here, too, but not till 45 days before, which is not a lot of time to get it done and then wait for it to come by mail (which MN is slow at).

Mardee--The photo on mine when I renewed was awful as there was weird lighting and it made my hair look neon yellow. I went back and asked a man about just getting a new photo and he said sure, and walked me right up to a desk past everyone waiting. The lady there said yes, certain cubicles have that happen. She happily redid mine and let me see it to approve it, lol. But if they know it's an issue you would think they would fix it if people were coming back.

Years ago, I was an OR resident and my husband was military. I remember when it came time to renew my license. OR let me have one with our current address (on the east coast) and it said "valid without photo". That really threw a lot of people off! I had those as I kept renewing the same way, until about 2000 when we finally came back home to the west coast and I went back to OR to renew in person. It still had my WA address, but at least it had a photo.

Where I grew up, in Belgium, you do not need to renew your driving licence once you have it. So my mum still has one with a picture on it of when she was 18, and she is not going to give that one up easily :-)

Mardee, You just saved me from an embarrassing gaffe on an upcoming trip to France next year.
Remind me to buy you an adult beverage of your choice should we ever meet.

Wendel, ha ha! I wouldn't either!

Robert, I would definitely take you up on that! Have a wonderful trip to France!

Andrea: My California license is due to expire March 1 and I am well over 70. In early December I received notice that I could renew my license. I was able to pay the renewal fee and take the written test online (I chose the tutorial type test). No driving test required. After passing the written test I made an appointment at the DMV for a vision test and photo and I should receive my new license in a week or so. I think depending on your driving record and age most people in California can now renew their license on line. Hopefully you will receive your renewal notice soon so you can take care of it before you leave.