N.M. Drivers Can Renew Licenses Online

New Mexico Gov. Susana Martinez and MVD Director Mark Williams unveiled a new online system for drivers license renewals. (russell contreras/THE ASSOCIATED PRESS )

Gov. Susana Martinez unveiled a new program Wednesday that allows more than 180,000 drivers to renew their licenses online at www.mvd.newmexico.gov.

“This is just one of our efforts to modernize and improve MVD operations while providing easy and practical options to New Mexicans,” Martinez said at a news conference announcing the program.

“Vertical” licenses, which indicate the driver is under 21 and expire 30 days after the holder’s 21st birthday, and state-issued identification cards also can be renewed online.

Speaking at the MVD office at Montgomery Plaza NE, Martinez said the agency renews nearly 1,500 driver’s licenses a day statewide.

“We want New Mexicans to use these new services so we can better serve not only those who visit MVD online, but those who visit MVD offices,” said Demesia Padilla, secretary of the state Taxation and Revenue Department.

“Our goal is to reduce foot traffic in MVD offices by offering more online services and options, and this will allow us to reduce wait times for customers visiting MVD offices.”

	Online license restrictions You are eligible to renew driver’s license online if:• You are at least 18 years old and have a valid driver’s license and no pending traffic citations, traffic citation-related arrest warrants or medical holds. • You obtained your current driver’s license in person after September 2008 when a new photo of you was taken. • Your driver’s license has been expired for less than a year. Licenses can also be renewed before they expire. • Your driver’s license was lost or stolen. • ”Vertical” licenses, which indicate the driver is under 21, can be renewed online once the driver turns 21.You are NOT eligible to renew driver’s license online if:• Your driver’s license is suspended, revoked, surrendered, denied, disqualified or canceled. • You have outstanding traffic citations, traffic citation-related arrest warrants or outstanding child support payments. • You are 75 or older. • You obtained your current license before October 2008. • You have a current or previous medical condition that has been reported to MVD. • You hold a commercial driver’s license. • Your most recently issued driver’s license has been expired for more than a year. • You are a foreign national with no Social Security number. • Your last driver’s license renewal was done online.

Once online, drivers will be asked to provide date of birth, the numbers on their current license or ID and the last four digits of their Social Security number, which are already on file. Addresses must be verified and a series of questions will be asked, depending on the applicant’s age. The website also has a “frequently asked questions” section.

If found ineligible, the transaction won’t be completed

The online renewal program accepts all major credit cards, and New Mexicans have an option to renew their driver’s licenses for a period of four or eight years.

The new program can also be accessed by smart phones and electronic tablets.

Because of state and federal laws, about half of the state’s driver’s license holders will still have to visit an MVD office in person to renew their licenses, the Governor’s Office said in a news release.

— This article appeared on page A1 of the Albuquerque Journal