21 year olds have a new way to get horizontal license

Teen drivers who will be turning 21 now have another option for getting a driver’s license that reflects that milestone. Department of Transportation spokesperson, Darcy Doty, says state law now allows drivers to update their license on the D-O-T website.

“The law allows the person to go online and request that replacement card to come in the mail — and that way they will have that horizontal license,” Doty says. Teen drivers all have a license that has the information lined up vertically. The different orientation in licenses was created to help casinos, bars and other organizations which need to verify ages.

“Which we have been told that makes it easier for those establishments that require that additional verification that the person is 21 when they are entering that facility. And it makes it a lot easier to see that on a horizontal card versus a vertical card and then reviewing that date of birth to make sure that person really is 21,” according to Doty.

She says the online option was not available until the recent law change.

“Our goal is to be able to provide a lot of options for customers, and that option is they can come into our service center, they can request that option online and they can also utilize our kiosk options as well,” Doty says. The law also requires the D-O-T to send out a notice to drivers who will turn 21 that they can make a change in their license.

“We are sending the information out about 90 days before the person is eligible to receive that horizontal care,” Doty says. “And the it’s really a reminder to says ‘don’t come in before that 21st birthday’ — you really need to be 21 in order for that vertical card to change into a horizontal card.” Doty says regular licenses are issued when someone is 17 or 18 and won’t expire for eight years — and making the change in your license when you turn 21 is not required. It does cost ten dollars to get the replacement license.