EXPAND REMOTE DRIVERS LICENSE SERVICES. (NEW)

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View NCGA Bill Details2025-2026 Session
Senate Bill 245 (Public) Filed Wednesday, March 5, 2025
AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL REMOTE RENEWALS OF DRIVERS LICENSES, TO ELIMINATE THE DRIVING LOG REQUIREMENT AND AUTHORIZE REMOTE ISSUANCE FOR FULL PROVISIONAL LICENSES, TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION RELATED TO POSSESSION OF EMBALMING FLUID, AND TO MAKE VARIOUS APPROPRIATIONS.
Intro. by B. Newton, Lazzara, Brinson.
Status: Ch. SL 2025-91 (Sep 30 2025)

SOG comments (2):

Long title change

Submitted by iveybyrd on

Previous title was AN ACT TO CREATE THE OFFENSE OF CRIMINAL POSSESSION AND UNLAWFUL SALE OF EMBALMING FLUID AND TO MAKE OTHER TECHNICAL REVISIONS.

Long title change

Submitted by iveybyrd on

Previous title was AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL REMOTE RENEWALS OF DRIVERS LICENSES AND TO ELIMINATE THE DRIVING LOG REQUIREMENT AND AUTHORIZE REMOTE ISSUANCE FOR FULL PROVISIONAL LICENSES.

Bill History:

S 245/S.L. 2025-91

Bill Summaries:

  • Bill S 245 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: Sep 30 2025 - View Summary

    AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE ADDITIONAL REMOTE RENEWALS OF DRIVERS LICENSES, TO ELIMINATE THE DRIVING LOG REQUIREMENT AND AUTHORIZE REMOTE ISSUANCE FOR FULL PROVISIONAL LICENSES, TO MAKE A TECHNICAL CORRECTION RELATED TO POSSESSION OF EMBALMING FLUID, AND TO MAKE VARIOUS APPROPRIATIONS. SL 2025-91. Enacted September 30, 2025. Effective September 30, 2025.

    Courts/Judiciary, Motor Vehicle, Court System, Administrative Office of the Courts, Government, Budget/Appropriations, Public Safety and Emergency Management, State Agencies, Department of Information Technology, State Highway Patrol
    APPROP, GS 20, GS 90
  • Bill S 245 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: Jul 30 2025 - View Summary

    House amendment to the 3rd edition makes the following changes.

    Amends the act’s long title.

    Amends GS 90-96.2 to give limited immunity under the statute for a violation of GS 90-113.154(b)(1) (making it illegal to possess embalming fluid for any purpose other than the lawful preservation of dead human bodies by a person authorized by law to engage in such activity or the lawful preservation of wildlife by a person licensed in taxidermy), instead of for any violations of that statute. Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025.

    Appropriates $5 million for 2025-26 from the IT Reserve to the Administrative Office of the Courts, for time-limited technology and business process positions related to the implementation of eCourts. Appropriates $15 million for 2025-26 from the IT Reserve to the Department of Information Technology for cybersecurity. Effective July 1, 2025.

    Appropriates $1.4 million in recurring funds beginning in 2025-26 from the General Fund to the State Bureau of Investigation (SBI) for up to 10 nonsworn administrative positions to support the SBI. Appropriates $3 million in recurring funds beginning in 2025-26 from the General Fund to the State Highway Patrol to hire 26 full-time nonsworn administrative positions. Effective July 1, 2025.

    Courts/Judiciary, Motor Vehicle, Court System, Administrative Office of the Courts, Government, Budget/Appropriations, Public Safety and Emergency Management, State Agencies, Department of Information Technology, State Highway Patrol
    APPROP, GS 20, GS 90
  • Bill S 245 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: Jul 29 2025 - View Summary

    House committee substitute to the 2nd edition replaces the prior edition in its entirety with the following. 

    Expands the actions that can be done for a driver’s licenses remotely under GS 20-7(f) to include issuing full provisional licenses. Expands the types of licenses that a license holder can possess to be eligible for remote licensed renewal, issuance, or conversion under the statute to include a valid limited provisional license so long as the holder is at least 16 years old but less than 18 years old at the time of the remote issuance. Now requires that the license holder have previously renewed their license in person and included a new color photograph for the person to be able to renew their license remotely (was, just in-person renewal). Also permits a license holder to remotely renew a license a second consecutive time if: (1) the license being renewed is not REAL ID compliant or (2) the license being renewed is REAL ID compliant but is being converted to a non-REAL ID compliant license for purposes of the renewal. Makes technical, organizational, and conforming changes. Removes the requirement that holders of a provisional license who are at least 16 but less than 18 years old complete a driving log under GS 20-11 in order to obtain a full provisional license. Makes conforming change to account for the fact that those persons are able to obtain provisional licenses remotely under the act’s changes to GS 20-7. Repeals Part V (authorizing remote driver's license renewals of active-duty military and their families) of SL 2025-72.

    Applies to licenses issued or renewed on or after the act becomes law.

    Makes conforming changes to act's titles.

    Courts/Judiciary, Motor Vehicle
    GS 20
  • Bill S 245 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: Apr 16 2025 - View Summary

    Senate committee substitute to the 1st edition makes the following changes.

    Changes the number of the new Article in GS Chapter 90 from 5H to 5I and renumbers the new statute to GS 90-113.154 (was, GS 90-113.107). 

    Business and Commerce, Occupational Licensing, Courts/Judiciary, Criminal Justice, Criminal Law and Procedure
    GS 90
  • Bill S 245 (2025-2026)
    Summary date: Mar 5 2025 - View Summary

    Names the act the “Rakim Shackleford Embalming Fluid Act.” Makes technical changes to GS 90-210.20 (pertaining to definitions related to the practice of funeral services) and sets forth a definition of embalming fluid. 

    Enacts GS 90-210.29C making it a criminal offense punishable as a Class I felony for a funeral director, embalmer, or resident trainee to knowingly give, sell, permit to be sold, offer for sale, or display for sale, other than for purposes within the general scope of their activities as a funeral director, embalmer, or resident trainee, embalming fluid to another person with actual knowledge that the person is not a funeral director, embalmer, or resident trainee. Requires imposition of fines of not less than $100 or more than $500 for a violation.

    Enacts GS 90-113.107, under new Article 5H (Miscellaneous Drug-Related Regulations), making it a criminal offense to (1) possess embalming fluid for any purpose other than the lawful preservation of dead human bodies by a person authorized by law to engage in such activity or the lawful preservation of wildlife by a person licensed in taxidermy pursuant to GS 113-273(k) or (2) sell, deliver, or otherwise distribute embalming fluid to another person with knowledge that the person intends to utilize the embalming fluid for any purpose other than the lawful preservation of dead human bodies by a person authorized by law to engage in such activity or the lawful preservation of wildlife by a person licensed in taxidermy pursuant to GS 113-273(k). Specifies felony classifications from Class I to Class D based on the amount of embalming fluid involved in the offense. Specifies that the statute should not be construed as prohibiting possession  by, or selling, delivering, or otherwise distributing to, funeral directors, embalmers, resident trainees or licensed taxidermists of embalming fluid for the purposes of embalming. Incorporates definitions of embalmer, embalming, embalming fluid, funeral director, and resident trainee from GS 90-210.20 into new section GS 90-113.107.

    Amends GS 90-96.2 (pertaining to limited immunity for good samaritans and overdose victims under the North Carolina Controlled Substances Act) to allow for immunity for violations of GS 90-113.107 involving less than 28 grams and that is punishable as a Class I felony.

    Applies to offenses committed on or after December 1, 2025.

    Business and Commerce, Occupational Licensing, Courts/Judiciary, Criminal Justice, Criminal Law and Procedure
    GS 90
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