Longer license renewal time? A bill is planned for that

Q When Moses brought down the two stone tablets, I do not recall an 11th commandment, namely that the California driver’s license renewal period shalt not be more than five years.

— Mike Swiontek,

San Jose

A I never thought Moses would crack the Roadshow lineup. Tell us more.

Q The DMV should follow New Zealand and extend the expiration for driver’s licenses to 10 years. A few years ago, after a bureaucratic quagmire, New Zealand extended the renewal to 10 years for people under 70. If adopted by California, it would dramatically alleviate the congestion experienced by the DMV.

— Jim O’Brien, Mountain

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A And New Zealand’s goal is to have you out the door in 10 minutes.

Q One simple fix to the DMV wait time dilemma would be to change the driver’s license renewal period from every five years to every 10 years. Voila! By my calculation that change would reduce wait times by 50 percent without having to double the DMV staff.

I suggest tailoring the 10-year period for new drivers and seniors. When one receives one’s first license, the renewal period for the first two cycles would be five years and then transition to the 10-year renewal cycle. For those over 75, the renewal period would drop from 10 years to five years. What say you, Sacramento?

— Mike Swiontek

A Hmmm. Nothing that drastic is planned, but a California lawmaker plans to introduce a bill to give drivers more time to renew their licenses. The proposal, from Sen. Patricia Bates, R-Laguna Niguel, would provide a 90-day deadline extension to renew all licenses set to expire this year instead of 60 days.

Her idea is a good one. Too many drivers who try to renew their license find out they can’t do so for several weeks after their renewal date. I think Moses would approve.

Q I was a little embarrassed at how fast I was able to recently get my REAL ID. Four minutes.

— Larry, Palo Alto

A Holy cow.

Q I made an appointment for 10:30 a.m. in Redwood City. The day before, I filled out the online questionnaire and brought my number with me.

I went to the appointment line with my Social Security card, passport and mortgage statement. From there to the payment window and then to the photo window, where the lady said I was all done and my license should arrive in two to four weeks.

As I headed out the door, I glanced at my watch — 10:34. I was prepared for a several-hour wait — water bottle, snacks, reading material, etc. Imagine my surprise when I got out of the DMV only four minutes after my appointment time!

— Larry

A And his Real ID license came in the mail seven days later. Was Moses nearby?