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.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

SECTION 1.  G.S. 20‑7(f) reads as rewritten:

(f)       Duration and Renewal of Licenses. – Drivers licenses shall be issued and renewed pursuant to the provisions of this subsection:

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(6)        Remote renewal renewal, issuance, or conversion. – Subject to the following requirements and limitations, the Division may offer remote renewal of a drivers license license, remote issuance of a full provisional license, or remote conversion of a full provisional license issued by the Division:

a.         Requirements. – To be eligible for remote renewal renewal, issuance, or conversion under this subdivision, a person must meet all of the following requirements:

1.         The license holder possesses either (i) a valid Class C drivers license or license, (ii) a valid limited provisional license and is at least 16 years old but less than 18 years old at the time of the remote issuance, or (iii) a valid full provisional license and is at least 18 years old at the time of the remote conversion.

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4.         For a remote renewal, the most recent renewal was an in‑person renewal transaction was in person and included a new color photograph of the license holder and was not a remote renewal under this subdivision.subdivision, except that a license holder may remotely renew a license a second consecutive time if either of the following apply:

I.          The license being renewed is not REAL ID compliant pursuant to the REAL ID Act of 2005, 49 U.S.C. § 30301.

II.        The license being renewed is REAL ID compliant but is being converted to a non‑REAL ID compliant license for purposes of the renewal.

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f.          Definition. – For purposes of this subdivision, remote renewal renewal, issuance, or conversion means renewal of a drivers license license, issuance of a full provisional license, or conversion of a full provisional license by mail, telephone, electronic device, or other secure means approved by the Commissioner.

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SECTION 2.  G.S. 20‑11(f) reads as rewritten:

(f)       Level 3. – A person who is at least 16 years old but less than 18 years old may obtain a full provisional license if the person meets all of the following requirements:

(1)        Has held a limited provisional license issued by the Division for at least six months.

(2)        Has not been convicted of a motor vehicle moving violation or seat belt infraction or a violation of G.S. 20‑137.3 during the preceding six months.

(3)        Has a driving eligibility certificate or a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(4)        Has completed a driving log, on a form approved by the Division, detailing a minimum of 12 hours as the operator of a motor vehicle of a class for which the driver is licensed. The log must show at least six hours of the required driving occurred during nighttime hours. The driving log must be signed by the supervising driver for any hours driven outside the provisions of subdivision (e)(2) of this section and submitted to the Division at the time the applicant seeks to obtain a full provisional license. If the Division has cause to believe that a driving log has been falsified, the limited provisional licensee shall be required to complete a new driving log with the same requirements and shall not be eligible to obtain a full provisional license for six months.

A person who meets these requirements may obtain a full provisional license by mail.remotely, as provided in G.S. 20‑7(f)(6).

SECTION 3.  Part V of S.L. 2025‑72 is repealed.

SECTION 3.5.(a)  G.S. 90‑96.2(c3)(3a), as enacted by S.L. 2025‑71, reads as rewritten:

(3a)    A violation of G.S. 90‑113.154 G.S. 90‑113.154(b)(1) punishable as a Class I felony.

SECTION 3.5.(b)  This section becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

SECTION 4.(a)  There is appropriated from the IT Reserve established in Section 2.2(d) of S.L. 2023‑134 to the Administrative Office of the Courts, Budget Fund 100051, the sum of five million dollars ($5,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used for time‑limited technology and business process positions related to eCourts implementation.

SECTION 4.(b)  There is appropriated from the IT Reserve established in Section 2.2(d) of S.L. 2023‑134 to the Department of Information Technology the sum of fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000) in nonrecurring funds for the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used for cybersecurity.

SECTION 4.(c)  This section is effective July 1, 2025.

SECTION 4.5.(a)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Bureau of Investigation (Bureau) the sum of one million four hundred thousand dollars ($1,400,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used to create up to 10 nonsworn administrative positions to support the Bureau.

SECTION 4.5.(b)  There is appropriated from the General Fund to the State Highway Patrol the sum of three million dollars ($3,000,000) in recurring funds beginning in the 2025‑2026 fiscal year to be used to hire 26 full‑time nonsworn administrative positions.

SECTION 4.5.(c)  This section is effective July 1, 2025.

SECTION 5.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law and applies to licenses issued or renewed on or after that date.