New 8-Year Renewal Option Will Be Offered for Washington Driver Licenses and ID Cards.

The Washington Department of Licensing (DOL) is reminding customers that as of Jan. 1, 2022, driver licenses and identification cards issued to those between the ages of 8 and 80 will have an eight-year renewal option. This is a change in state law enacted in 2017 SB 6175.

Previously, DOL license issuers offered only four renewal intervals for driver's licenses and identification cards (every 4 years at age 16; every 8 years at age 24, 32, and 48; or every 10 years at age 60). This change will help those who don’t want to go through the hassle of renewing their licenses every 6 years.

The Seattle Medium is reporting that:

1. If you choose this renewal option, your documents will expire in 2031 or 2032 instead of 2020 or 2021.
2. You must be at least 21 years old to sign up for the 8-year renewal option when you renew your driver's license or ID card next year (all other existing requirements still apply).
3. You must apply to this new 8-year option before your existing license expires.
4. You can only sign up for a maximum of 2 8-year renewal options. After this, you will have to use the 6-year renewal option like everyone else.
5. As long as you renew your card online, you can get it mailed to you for free.

This is a very helpful update. It makes sense for people to renew every 8 years instead of every 6 years because it saves time and hassle in the long run. It will save time and money for those who don’t want to renew every 6 years. It’s nice that they offer this 8-year renewal option, but they also give you the choice of sticking with the 6-year renewal option.