This story is part of our ongoing series, Ask INDY, in which INDY staffers put their expertise (and impeccable taste) to use answering your questions about navigating life in the Triangle.
In case you missed it, nonpartisan municipal election season is upon us in Wake, Durham, and Orange counties. The candidates have filed their paperwork. Campaigns are beginning in earnest. Election Day is just three short months away. There’s no time like the present to get educated and make a plan to vote.
For this week’s Ask INDY, we asked for your elections-related questions. One reader wrote in:
North Carolina has declared we all have an extra two years to renew our licenses given the long lines at the DMV. Has the state clarified whether “grace period” IDs will be permitted for voting? And if not, can someone raise the alarm so voters don’t get an unpleasant surprise when they show up to vote in municipal and midterm elections over the next two autumns?
Navigating voter ID rules can be tricky at the best of times, and the current moratorium on driver’s license expirations adds another layer of confusion. Here’s what you need to know.
First, the grace period for renewing your driver’s license only applies to driving, per the NC Department of Transportation. It does not apply to voting.
However, if your license expired within a year, North Carolina will still accept it as a form of photo ID, according to the state board of elections.
So if you plan to use your driver’s license to vote on November 4, 2025, make sure its expiration date is November 4, 2024 or later. For the November 3, 2026 midterm elections, a license with an expiration date of November 3, 2025 or later will work.
This doesn’t apply to voters over 65, who can vote with an expired license as long as it was unexpired on their 65th birthday.
If you’re a voter whose driver’s license will be more than a year out of date on election day, you have a few options.
You could use a different type of Photo ID, like a U.S. Passport or a military ID. Here’s a complete list of Photo IDs accepted in NC.
Or, you could walk into your county board of elections any time before the end of the early voting period and get a free voter ID. Some county boards print the IDs on the spot while others mail them to you, so consider getting this done as soon as possible just to be safe.
Then there’s the obvious but onerous option of renewing your driver’s license. You can do this in-person, online, at a self-service kiosk, or, in a few specific cases, by mail. Renewing online is a good choice if you’re eligible, but you can only do it for every other license renewal, and you can’t get your first REAL ID online. In-person DMV appointments are notoriously hard to come by these days, so you’ll probably have to walk in and wait in line. The r/NorthCarolina Reddit is a repository for theories of the best times and places to go to minimize your wait time, but conventional wisdom changes daily. All you can really do is show up early and hope for the best.
While you’re getting your ducks in a row, be sure to check that your voter registration is up-to-date. Happy voting!
A new Ask INDY topic is posted every other week. Send us your questions at indyweek.com/ask-indy or [email protected].
Chloe Courtney Bohl is a Report for America corps member. Follow her on Bluesky or reach her at [email protected]. Comment on this story at [email protected].