                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

EXPIRATION AND RENEWAL OF LICENSES; EXAMINATIONS REQUIRED (§ 46.2-330)

A. Every driver&#8217;s license shall expire on the applicant&#8217;s birthday
at the end of the period of years for which a driver&#8217;s license has been
issued. At no time shall any driver&#8217;s license be issued for more than
eight years or less than five years, unless otherwise provided by law.
Thereafter the driver&#8217;s license shall be renewed on or before the birthday
of the licensee and shall be valid for a period not to exceed eight years except
as otherwise provided by law. Any driver&#8217;s license issued to a person age
75 or older shall be issued for a period not to exceed five years.
Notwithstanding these limitations, the Commissioner may extend the validity
period of an expiring license if (i) the Department is unable to process an
application for renewal due to circumstances beyond its control, (ii) the
extension has been authorized under a directive from the Governor, and (iii) the
license was not issued as a limited-duration driver&#8217;s license under the
provisions of subsection B of &#xA7; 46.2-328.1. However, in no event shall the
validity period be extended more than 90 days per occurrence of such conditions.
In determining the number of years for which a driver&#8217;s license shall be
renewed, the Commissioner shall take into consideration the examinations,
conditions, requirements, and other criteria provided under this title that
relate to the issuance of a license to operate a vehicle. Any driver&#8217;s
license issued to a person required to register pursuant to Chapter 9 (&#xA7;
9.1-900 et seq.) of Title 9.1 shall expire on the applicant&#8217;s birthday in
years which the applicant attains an age equally divisible by five.

B. Within one year prior to the date shown on the driver&#8217;s license as the
date of expiration, the Department shall send notice, to the holder thereof, at
the address shown on the records of the Department in its driver&#8217;s license
file, that his license will expire on a date specified therein, whether he must
be reexamined, and when he may be reexamined. Nonreceipt of the notice shall not
extend the period of validity of the driver&#8217;s license beyond its
expiration date. The license holder may request the Department to send such
renewal notice to an email or other electronic address, upon provision of such
address to the Department.
			Any driver&#8217;s license may be renewed by application after the applicant
has taken and successfully completed those parts of the examination provided for
in &#xA7;&#xA7; 46.2-311, 46.2-325, and the Virginia Commercial Driver&#8217;s
License Act (&#xA7; 46.2-341.1 et seq.), including vision and written tests,
other than the parts of the examination requiring the applicant to drive a motor
vehicle. All drivers applying in person for renewal of a license shall take and
successfully complete the examination each renewal year. Every applicant for a
renewal shall appear in person before the Department, unless specifically
notified by the Department that renewal may be accomplished in another manner as
provided in the notice. Applicants who are required to appear in person before
the Department to apply for a renewal may also be required to present proof of
identity, legal presence, residency, and social security number or non-work
authorized status.

C. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, the Commissioner, in his
discretion, may require any applicant for renewal to be fully examined as
provided in &#xA7;&#xA7; 46.2-311 and 46.2-325 and the Virginia Commercial
Driver&#8217;s License Act (&#xA7; 46.2-341.1 et seq.). Furthermore, if the
applicant is less than 75 years old, the Commissioner may waive the vision
examination for any applicant for renewal of a driver&#8217;s license that is
not a commercial driver&#8217;s license and the requirement for the taking of
the written test as provided in subsection B of this section, &#xA7; 46.2-325,
and the Virginia Commercial Driver&#8217;s License Act (&#xA7; 46.2-341.1 et
seq.). However, in no case shall there be any waiver of the vision examination
for applicants for renewal of a commercial driver&#8217;s license or of the
knowledge test required by the Virginia Commercial Driver&#8217;s License Act
for the hazardous materials endorsement on a commercial driver&#8217;s license.
No driver&#8217;s license or learner&#8217;s permit issued to any person who is
75 years old or older shall be renewed unless the applicant for renewal appears
in person and either (i) passes a vision examination or (ii) presents a report
of a vision examination, made within 90 days prior thereto by an ophthalmologist
or optometrist, indicating that the applicant&#8217;s vision meets or exceeds
the standards contained in &#xA7; 46.2-311.

D. Every applicant for renewal of a driver&#8217;s license, whether renewal
shall or shall not be dependent on any examination of the applicant, shall
appear in person before the Department to apply for renewal, unless specifically
notified by the Department that renewal may be accomplished in another manner as
provided in the notice.

E. This section shall not modify the provisions of &#xA7; 46.2-221.2.

F. 1. The Department shall electronically transmit application information,
including a photograph, to the Department of State Police, in a format approved
by the State Police, for comparison with information contained in the Virginia
Criminal Information Network and National Crime Information Center Convicted
Sexual Offender Registry files, at the time of the renewal of a driver&#8217;s
license. Whenever it appears from the records of the State Police that a person
has failed to comply with the duty to register, reregister, or verify his
registration information pursuant to Chapter 9 (§ 9.1-900 et seq.) of Title
9.1, the State Police shall promptly investigate and, if there is probable cause
to believe a violation has occurred, obtain a warrant or assist in obtaining an
indictment charging a violation of § 18.2-472.1 in the jurisdiction in which
the person last registered, reregistered, or verified his registration
information or in the jurisdiction where the person made application for
licensure.  The Department of State Police shall electronically transmit to the
Department, in a format approved by the Department, for each person required to
register pursuant to Chapter 9 of Title 9.1, registry information consisting of
the person&#8217;s name, all aliases that he has used or under which he may have
been known, his date of birth, and his social security number as set out in §
9.1-903.

   2. For each person required to register pursuant to Chapter 9 of Title 9.1,
   the Department may not waive the requirement that each such person shall
   appear for each renewal or the requirement to obtain a photograph in
   accordance with subsection C of &#xA7; 46.2-323.

HISTORY: 1968, c. 642, § 46.1-380.1; 1975, c. 24; 1976, c. 48; 1984, c. 780;
1989, cc. 705, 727; 1993, cc. 471, 501; 1997, c. 486; 2001, cc. 659, 665; 2003,
c. 333; 2004, cc. 112, 218, 975; 2005, c. 302; 2006, cc. 857, 914; 2008, cc.
487, 866; 2009, c. 872; 2011, cc. 57, 70; 2012, cc. 215, 222; 2014, c. 282;
2016, c. 368; 2018, c. 300; 2020, cc. 829, 1227, 1246.