Most Virginians Prepared for Legal Presence Requirement New Law Highlights Need to Renew Licenses Before Expiration RICHMOND – During the first month of Virginia’s new legal presence law, less than five percent of customers arrived at a DMV office without documents required to prove legal presence. In addition, DMV experienced no increase in service wait times as a result of the additional licensing procedure. “Everyone at DMV worked very hard to anticipate and prepare for anything that might cause our customers to wait longer for service as a result of the new law and procedures,” said DMV spokesperson Pam Goheen. “Service times have remained constant across the state. Our front-line staff is doing an exceptional job.” The legal presence law, effective January 1, 2004, applies to individuals renewing expired licenses, reinstating suspended or revoked licenses, and applying for original licenses or photo ID cards. The law does not apply to an individual renewing a driver’s license before the expiration date. “We saw a lot of Virginians affected when renewing their licenses after expiration or reinstating their driving privileges after suspensions,” said Goheen. “For customers who did not have a document with them to prove legal presence, our customer service representatives explained to customers exactly what documents they would need to bring with them – like a birth certificate or U.S. passport – to be successful during their next visit.” Approximately 428,745 customers visited DMV during January 2004. Of those, less than five percent were asked to return with documents to prove that they are either United States citizens or legally authorized by the federal government to be in the U.S. The average statewide wait time for January was 23 minutes and 14 seconds. In high-volume, urban areas, like Fairfax, wait times averaged approximately 33 minutes. In rural areas, such as Abingdon, Marion, and Wytheville, wait times averaged approximately six and a half minutes. Customers can make their DMV visit a success by planning ahead. They are encouraged to log onto the agency’s website ( www.dmvnow.com) or call toll-free (1-866-DMV-LINE) to find out what documents they will need. In addition, customers can check the wait times at each DMV office location to determine how long they might have to wait for service. Traditionally, the best times to visit are in the middle of the month, the middle of the week, and mid-morning or mid-afternoon. “Don’t let your license expire and don’t wait until the end of the month to renew,” urged Goheen. “Compare your license expiration to meeting the federal tax deadline or mailing holiday greeting cards. If you wait until the last minute, you’ll wait in line at the post office. If you wait to renew your license, you’ll probably wait longer than you want for DMV service. Planning ahead saves time.”
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