A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to authorize a member of the armed forces or of RESERVE components of the armed forces to renew a drivers license upon receipt of deployment orders and to allow a thirty‑day grace period for an expired license upon release from active duty.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 20‑4.01 is amended by adding a new subdivision to read:
"(33c)	Reserve components of the Armed Forces of the United States. – The organizations listed in Title 10 United States Code, section 10101, which specifically includes the Army and Air National Guard."
SECTION 2.  G.S. 20‑7(f) reads as rewritten:
"(f)	Duration and Renewal of Licenses. – Drivers licenses shall be issued and renewed pursuant to the provisions of this subsection:
…
(3b)	Renewal for certain members of the Armed Forces and reserve components of the Armed Forces.
a.	The Division may renew a drivers license, without limitation on the period of time before the license expires, if the person applying for renewal is a member of the Armed Forces or of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States and provides orders that place the member on active duty and duty station outside this State.
b.	A person who is a member of the Armed Forces or of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States whose license bears an expiration date that occurred while the person was on active duty outside this State shall be considered to have a valid license until 30 days after the date of release from active duty upon showing proof of the release date, unless the license was rescinded, revoked, or otherwise invalidated under some other provision of law.
(4)	Renewal by mail. – The Division may renew by mail a drivers license issued by the Division to a person who meets any of the following descriptions:
a.	Is a member of the Armed Forces or a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States serving on active duty and is stationed outside this State.
b.	Is a resident of this State and has been residing outside the State for at least 30 continuous days.
When renewing a license by mail, the Division may waive the examination that would otherwise be required for the renewal and may impose any conditions it finds advisable. A license renewed by mail is a temporary license that expires 60 days after the person to whom it is issued returns to this State.
…."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 20‑7(r) reads as rewritten:
"(r)	Waiver of Vision Test. – The following license holders shall be exempt from any required eye exam when renewing a drivers license by mail under either subsection (f) of this section or subsection (q) of this section if, at the time of renewal, the license holder is serving in a combat zone or a qualified hazardous duty zone:
(1)	A member of the Armed Forces of the United States.
(2)	A member of a reserve component of the Armed Forces of the United States."
SECTION 4.  The Revisor of Statutes shall change the term "armed forces" to "Armed Forces" wherever that term appears in Chapter 20 of the General Statutes.
SECTION 5.  This act is effective when it becomes law and applies to all licenses expiring on or after the effective date of this act.