AUSTIN – At the direction of Governor Greg Abbott, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) is announcing Saturday appointment availability through the end of the year. Many driver license (DL) offices across the state will be offering Saturday appointments for customers needing to renew or replace their Texas DL or ID cards only.
Appointments will begin Saturday, Oct. 3, and continue each Saturday through Dec. 19, with the exception of Nov. 28, due to the Thanksgiving holiday. Offices will be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The announcement comes as the department continues its work to help alleviate the backlog caused by COVID-19. Nearly 700,000 people statewide had their DLs/IDs expire while the DL offices were closed due to the pandemic. Continuing to offer Saturday appointments through the end of the year for renewal and replacements will give customers additional time to handle their DL transactions.
Scheduling an appointment
It’s important to remember DPS launched its new appointment solution when DL offices reopened in May, and all services are now conducted by appointment only. DPS moved to this new appointment system to provide additional convenience, reducing the time Texans spend waiting in line. Customers can now book appointments for a specific day and time, up to six months in advance, and show up 30 minutes or less before their scheduled appointment. Customers can check-in using the kiosk inside the office or from their mobile device.
To schedule an appointment or check availability, visit the online appointment scheduler.
A limited number of same day appointments will also be available at each DL office. These appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers who book these appointments can then leave the DL office until their designated appointment time. Additionally, in most offices, customers without an appointment may be offered the opportunity to be placed on a “standby” list. These customers are required to wait in the office and are assisted in the event of a cancelation or a no-show. The number of standby appointments is limited to ensure all customers who are placed on the list will be served by the end of the day.
DL offices have implemented several COVID-19 protocols to ensure a safe environment. Read about them here.
Extension remains in place
Please note, the extension for the expiration dates that was granted in response to COVID-19 remains in effect. The extension means if your Texas ID, DL, commercial driver license (CDL) or election identification certificate (EIC) expires on or after March 13, 2020, it falls under the period covered by the State of Disaster Declaration related to COVID-19 and will remain valid for 60 days after which time DPS issues a public notice that the extension period for the disaster declaration has been lifted. At this time, this 60-day notice has not been issued, and Texans still have time to conduct their renewal transactions. Customers are able to download a copy of the Verification of Driver License Expiration Extension (PDF) notice to carry with them if they would like.
