§286-107 License renewals; procedures and requirements. (a) The examiner of drivers may accept an application for a renewal of a driver's license made not more than six months prior to the date of expiration.

If, however, the renewal is not applied for within ninety days after the expiration of the license, the applicant for renewal shall be treated as an applicant for a new license and examined as provided in section 286-108.

(b) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (c), an applicant for a renewal of a driver's license under this section, or the reactivation of an expired license under section 286-107.5(a), shall appear in person before the examiner of drivers and the examiner of drivers shall administer such physical examinations as the state director of transportation deems necessary to determine the applicant's fitness to continue to operate a motor vehicle.

(c) Any resident of this State who holds a category (1), (2) or (3) license and who by reason of the resident's temporary absence from the State is unable to appear in person before the examiner of drivers to apply for a renewal of the resident's driver's license, may, if the resident is not disqualified from renewing the resident's license under subsection (a), apply for a renewal by mail. The resident's request to have the resident's license renewed by mail must be received by the examiner of drivers within ninety days after the expiration of the resident's license. The examiner of drivers shall upon receipt of the request, furnish the applicant with all necessary forms and instructions. An application for renewal made pursuant to this subsection shall be accompanied by a statement from a licensed physician certifying that the applicant had been examined by the licensed physician not more than six months prior to the expiration date of the applicant's license and that the applicant had been found by such examination to have met the physical requirements established by the state director of transportation for the renewal of licenses. The application for renewal shall also be accompanied by:

(d) An applicant for a renewal of the applicant's driver's license whether applying pursuant to subsections (b) or (c) shall pay the fee determined by the council of the appropriate county. Payment of the fee shall be by certified check or money order, tendered together with the application.

(e) No driver's license shall be renewed by the examiner of drivers unless the examiner of drivers is satisfied of the applicant's fitness to continue to operate a motor vehicle and unless the fee required by subsection (d) is tendered together with the application for renewal.

(f) A driver's license renewed pursuant to subsection (c) may validly be issued without incorporating a photograph of the licensee.

(g) No driver's license shall be renewable by mail for more than two consecutive renewals whether the license expires, under section 286-106, on the fourth birthday after issuance or on the second birthday after issuance; provided that this subsection shall not apply to a resident military person or that person's immediate family if the resident military person resides outside the State on official military orders.

(h) The state director of transportation shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to chapter 91, necessary for the purposes of this section, including rules and regulations governing the effect to be given to convictions for violations of traffic laws of a foreign jurisdiction, upon license renewal procedures. [L 1974, c 97, §3; am L 1975, c 194, §§1, 2; am L Sp 1977 1st, c 20, §12; gen ch 1985; am L 1986, c 232, §1; am L 1987, c 318, §1; am L 1997, c 60, §§2, 3 and c 330, §4]