Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Escambia County’s driver’s license offices in Atmore and Brewton are now open for exams and issuances of IDs, according to officials.
According to ALEA, the division closed its offices to the public on Friday, March 27; however, employees continued to provide services to the public via phone, email and online.
After Gov. Kay Ivey issued a Safer at Home Order, ALEA’s Driver License Division began a “soft opening” at 13 locations across the state on Mon., May 4. In the following weeks, the agency gradually reopened other offices. By Monday, June 29, 95 percent (69 of its 73 locations) will be open to the public.
ALEA officials said in a release that it will ensure the public’s safety by implementing safety procedures and adhering to all COVID-19 guidelines during each transaction.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency announced recently that since the soft opening in early May, 66,244 customers have received face-to-face service in the driver license offices, and 98,167 online customers were served between March 16 and June 19. In 2019, only 33,337 were served.
County officials said the driver license offices have been implementing renewals.
“We meticulously and strategically developed a plan to reopen our driver license offices to avoid putting anyone at risk during this precarious time,” ALEA Secretary Hal Taylor said. “The absolute last thing we wanted was to contribute to the spread of the coronavirus. In addition, ALEA’s Driver License Division is striving to alleviate the accumulation of a COVID-19-related backlog, and it will continue to utilize new and innovative procedures to reduce the congestion at Driver License offices throughout the state.”
On Monday, June 2, the agency resumed Class D Road/Skills tests on a limited basis. Between June 2 and June 19, 5,544 road tests were completed, which is an increase of 115 percent as compared to the same period in 2019, according to officials. Currently, driver license personnel have administered 6,922 Class D road/skills tests for regular driver licenses and 706 commercial driver license skills tests. Another 8,000 customers have been served through ALEA’s partnership with the Alabama State Department of Education to streamline the yellow card/vessel license process for 16-year-old students who passed the required road test with an instructor. The State Department of Education also has resumed drivers education programs to allow students to catch up from the spring semester, according to a release.
For updates on driver license offices around the state, please visit: https://www.alea.gov/dps/driver-license.