(WASHINGTON, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser is reminding drivers of two important deadlines that are quickly approaching: (1) Thursday, September 9 is the last day to renew DC Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) expired driver licenses and identification cards before additional requirements kick in; and (2) Thursday, September 30 is the last day to take advantage of an amnesty program that provides the opportunity to pay, without the doubling penalty, outstanding tickets for parking, photo enforcement and minor moving violations.
During the coronavirus (COVID-19) public health emergency (PHE), the Mayor issued an executive order providing that driver licenses and ID cards expiring after March 1, 2020 would remain valid. As the PHE drew to a close, a deadline to renew expired credentials was originally set at July 1; however, the Mayor extended the deadline to September 9 to give residents more time to renew.
Residents with a REAL ID driver license or REAL ID non-driver identification card (star in upper right-corner) may renew online, by mail, or through the DC DMV App.
Residents with a non-REAL ID DC driver license or DC non-driver identification card MUST provide additional documentation and renew their credential in-person at a DC DMV Service Center.
If expired DC driver licenses are not renewed by September 9, drivers will have to take these additional steps:
If your DC DMV driver license has been expired for more than 365 days from March 1, 2020, you must take and pass the knowledge test OR take the District’s online traffic school course.
If your DC driver license has been expired for more than 545 days from March 1, 2020, you must take and pass two tests: knowledge and road skills (by appointment only).
Ticket amnesty program
The clock is also ticking on the ability of both District and non-District drivers to take advantage of the Mayor’s four-month ticket amnesty program. Under the program, which ends after September 30, eligible customers only have to pay the original ticket amount; any penalties are waived.
“In just three months, Mayor Bowser’s ticket amnesty program has helped thousands of customers—with more than 21,000 customers paying outstanding tickets, nearly 19,000 paying tickets in full and nearly 2,500 customers struggling financially being given hardship assistance,” said Deputy Mayor for Operations and Infrastructure (DMOI) Lucinda Babers. “We want to help many more, so we encourage customers not to delay—use the program now, before it ends and penalties get restored.”
Below is a summary of the ticket amnesty program:
- Who is eligible? District and non-District customers with outstanding tickets, including District residents who are having trouble obtaining a REAL ID credential because of outstanding tickets.
- What tickets are eligible? Tickets issued before September 30, 2021.
- What types of tickets are eligible? Parking, photo enforcement (including speed, red-light and stop sign) and minor moving violations issued by law enforcement.
- What will I have to pay? You will pay the original ticket amount. Any penalties will be waived. Department of Public Works tow and storage fees, if any, will not be waived. Just pay the eligible ticket during the amnesty period.
Residents and non-residents facing financial hardship should contact the Office of the Chief Financial Officer’s Central Collection Unit (OCFO CCU) for settlement options. Any ticket included in a settlement plan will no longer be eligible for adjudication.
More information can be found at ticketamnesty.dc.gov.