Beginning in Wake County next week, the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles will change from "over-the-counter" to "central issuance" of driver licenses and ID cards.

The county's six driver license offices will close for a half day between Monday and Wednesday to prepare for the new process. A schedule for the office closings is at the end of this release.

Under central issuance, customers renewing their licenses or applying for new licenses will continue to visit local offices to take required tests and have their photos made. Rather than receiving their driver licenses over the counter, customers will receive a temporary driving permit valid for 20 days while their personal information is verified and their license or card is processed and mailed to them.

Drivers will be able to keep their current driver license to use for photo identification until they receive their new license.

"The new issuance process will protect against identity theft and address fraud, helping to keep license production secure," said DMV Commissioner Mike Robertson. "It also means that North Carolina will become one of the top states in the nation for producing secure and trusted driving and identification credentials."

DMV expects most licenses to be delivered by mail within seven to 10 days and encourages drivers to renew their licenses early to ensure receiving their new licenses prior to the expiration date. Drivers can renew licenses up to six months before their birthday renewal dates.

Applying for or renewing licenses early is important to maintain identification for such activities as boarding plane flights and completing financial transactions. In North Carolina, a valid state-issued driver license is also required to register most vehicles.

N.C. DMV operated pilot programs for the new process at Harnett County driver license offices in Lillington and Erwin over the past year. Since July 1, 2008, more than 63,000 drivers received licenses through central issuance at these locations.

Sixteen states have either started or completed their transition to central issuance of driver licenses. Among them, Virginia completed its rollout to 74 offices statewide on June 18. Georgia plans to begin its rollout this fall.

Before the central issuance process is phased in across North Carolina, plans call for the six Wake County driver license offices to operate under the new process for at least two weeks. All 114 DMV offices are expected to be converted to the new program by this fall.

An evaluation of the changeover process in Wake County will take place before a statewide rollout schedule is announced. DMV will post the rollout schedule and other information about the central issuance changeover on its Web site at www.ncdot.gov/dmv.

Schedule of Closures

• Cary (1387 SE Maynard Road) - Will close at noon on Tuesday, June 30 and reopen on Wednesday, July 1 at 8 a.m.
  
• Fuquay-Varina (131 S. Fuquay Ave. in the Old Municipal Building) Will close at noon on Monday, June 29 and reopen on Tuesday, June 30 at 8 a.m.
  
• Garner (222 Forest Hills Dr. in Forest Hills Shopping Center) Will close at noon on Monday, June 29 and reopen on Tuesday, June 30 at 8 a.m.
  
• North Raleigh (2431 Spring Forest Road, Suite 101 in Spring Forest Pavilion) Will close at noon on Tuesday, June 30 and reopen on Wednesday, July 1 at 8 a.m.
  
• Wendell (2851 Wendell Blvd.) Will close at noon on Wednesday, July 1 and reopen on Thursday, July 2 at 8 a.m.
  
• West Raleigh (3231 Avent Ferry Road) Will close at noon on Wednesday, July 1 and reopen on Thursday, July 2 at 8 a.m.