Erwin DMV to issue driver's licenses by mail

Driver's license applicants will no longer get a card over-the-counter. Instead, those who pass the tests will be issued a Temporary Driving Certificate valid for 20 days and a license will be delivered by mail.

DMV officials said the extra wait time allows for more sophisticated background checks.

“The program’s goal is to help fight identity theft and address fraud,” DMV Commissioner William Gore Jr. said. “There will be an adjustment period for our customers, but the return on securing our driver licenses should make up for any inconvenience.”

Licenses will no longer be made on-site at each DMV office. Instead, they will be made at a single Raleigh location, based on state legislation passed two years ago.

Wayne Hurder, of the state Department of Motor Vehicles, estimated that about 90 percent of applicants will likely get their new driver's license mailed to them in five days. For those people who require extra verification, it will take longer.

Central issuance is expected to expand to DMV offices across the state by the end of 2008.