Notary Notes Blog

The latest notary news for Pennsylvania notaries

Motor Vehicle

Renew CDL Products by March 31

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Expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will end after the current extension expires for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

The final extension is currently in place for the following products’ expiration dates:

  • The expiration date for a commercial learner’s permit scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31, 2021.
  • The expiration date for commercial driver licenses scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through March 31, 2021, is extended through March 31, 2021.

Customers with commercial products that are covered by the extension but have not yet been renewed are encouraged to renew their CDL products as soon as possible by March 31, 2021.

No further extensions will be given on these products.

Access PennDOT’s updates on their Driver and Vehicle Services Update page.

Acceptable Proof of Identity for Processing Motor Vehicle Applications

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This Driver and Vehicle Services Update Bulletin No. 21-03 dated February 2021 is to inform you of a change in the acceptable forms of identification for titling and registering vehicles in Pennsylvania.

Effective immediately, authorized agents may accept a valid camera card along with an expired Pennsylvania identification credential, or 15 day temporary internet driver license or identification card renewal credential with an applicant’s expired Pennsylvania identification credential for the purposes of titling and registering a vehicle.

With this change, agents may now accept one of the following credentials for identification purposes to issue title and registration documents:

  1. A valid Pennsylvania Photo Driver’s License;
  2. A valid Pennsylvania Photo Identification Card;
  3. A valid Pennsylvania Photo Exempt Driver’s License;
  4. A valid Pennsylvania Photo Exempt Identification Card;
  5. A valid Pennsylvania 15-day temporary internet driver license or identification card renewal credential and expired DL/ID
  6. A valid Pennsylvania Camera Card and Pennsylvania expired identification credential (as listed above); or
  7. A valid U.S. Armed Forces Common Access Card

Dependents of Armed Forces personnel must provide a valid United States Uniformed Services Identification and Privilege Card (DD Form 1173).

Each of the identification documents listed above must be in the same name as the name listed on the motor vehicle application.

The Acceptable Proof of Identification Documents for Completing Motor Vehicle Forms Fact Sheet has been updated to reflect this change.

Pennsylvanians Experiencing Homelessness Eligible for Free ID Renewal

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Act 131 of 2020, which Governor Tom Wolf recently signed into law, makes it possible for Pennsylvanians experiencing homelessness to be issued a free initial photo ID or renewal. Individuals will be required to apply in person at a PennDOT Driver License Center and must meet identification and other requirements. Additional information can be found on the Driver and Vehicle Services website, www.dmv.pa.gov. This section of the law is effective January 25, 2021.

The pertinent section of the Act reads:

Title 75 § 1901.  Exemption of persons, entities and vehicles from fees.

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(b.1)  Identification card fees.–No fee shall be charged for an initial or renewal identification card, including for a photograph required for an initial or renewal identification card, to an individual who affirms in writing that the individual is:

  1. homeless, as defined on the effective date of this subsection in section 103 of the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Public Law 100-77, 42 U.S.C. § 11302);
  2. a resident of this Commonwealth; and
  3. aware of the prohibitions on unsworn falsification to authorities set forth in 18 Pa.C.S. § 4904 (relating to unsworn falsification to authorities).

Dealers’ Documentary Fee Increases for 2021

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The maximum documentary fee licensed dealers can charge increased from $324 to $328 for processing title work manually. The fee increased from $389 to $394 for processing title work electronically with an online provider.

The increase is effective immediately.

The documentary fee is adjusted annually according to the Consumer Price Index.

PennDOT Extends Expiration Dates on Commercial Driver Licenses, Commercial Learner’s Permits

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Effective December 31, 2020, expiration dates for commercial driver licenses and commercial learner’s permits will be extended for Pennsylvania residents in response to statewide COVID-19 mitigation efforts.

The following products’ expiration dates will be extended:

  • The expiration date for a commercial learner’s permit scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through February 22, 2021, is extended through February 22, 2021.
  • The expiration date for commercial driver licenses scheduled to expire from March 16, 2020, through February 22, 2021, is extended through February 22, 2021.

There are no additional extensions issued on non-commercial driver license, photo identification cards, learner’s permits or camera cards.

Access PennDOT’s updates on their Driver and Vehicle Services Update page.

PennDOT Real ID Update

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After October 1, 2021, anyone going through airport security or entering most federal buildings will need a Real ID, a passport or a military identification.

PennDOT estimates that nearly 300,000 Pennsylvanians haven’t applied for their Real ID yet. Kurt Myers, PennDOT’s deputy secretary for Driver and Vehicle Services, believes that the department shouldn’t have any problem handling that many customers by the deadline.

“We’re by no means at full capacity right now,” Myers said. “We can certainly handle more people. We want to be sure we are meeting our customers’ needs as well as we can while keeping them safe.”

PennDOT plans to make a big marketing push early in 2021 to remind residents that the cards are available and the deadline is looming.

“We’re still planning to do the campaign that had been set for last summer,” Myers said. “That will definitely occur.”