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Drivers soon will renew licenses every 8 years, instead of every 5

(Al Hartmann | Tribune file photo) Utah Gov. Gary Herbert receives his temporary driver license at the Fairpark Driver License office in Salt Lake City. Utah drivers soon will need to renew licenses only once every eight years instead of once every five.

  | March 12, 2019, 8:57 p.m.
| Updated: 10:08 p.m.

Utahns soon will need to renew their driver licenses only every eight years, instead of the currently mandated five.

The Senate voted 24-2 Tuesday to pass HB294, and sent it to Gov. Gary Herbert for his consideration.

Its sponsor, Rep. Adam Robertson, R-Provo, has said the change would allow the Utah Driver License Division to handle Utah’s quickly growing population without adding more offices and staff.

Also, he said it could make life a little easier on drivers by not making them renew licenses so often.

But the cost of renewal will increase to $52 from $32. Robertson said the per-year cost of a license would remain level at $6.50. He notes the Driver License Division is funded entirely by that revenue, and funding needs to be kept constant to prevent cuts in staffing.

Chris Caras, director of the Driver License Division, supported the move. He noted his agency has not received permission to hire additional staff since 2008, so the changes would help it handle increased work coming from population growth.