WILMINGTON, N.C. (WECT) – The NC Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) announced a new online option for teen drivers to upgrade their licenses.

Teens who have their Level 2 Limited Provisional Licenses can now upgrade to a Level 3 Full Provisional License.

Previously, teens who had held their Level 2 license for six months without any violations needed to go to the DMV in person to upgrade to Level 3.

The shift to the online process was made possible by Senate Bill 245, which was signed into law in September. The bill also allowed drivers, both with and without a REAL ID, to renew their licenses online to reduce wait times at the DMV.

Teen drivers will need their parent or guardian to log in to NCDMV’s online payment portal and submit their information and consent for the teen to advance from Level 2 to Level 3.

The second step requires the teen to log in to complete the transaction and receive a temporary driving certificate to use until their new Level 3 Limited Provisional License arrives in the mail.

“Parents and teen drivers no longer have to take time off work or school for a simple upgrade. It’s now available at their fingertips online,” said NCDMV Commissioner Paul Tine. “This builds on our recent online renewal expansions enabled by Senate Bill 245 and keeps us moving toward becoming an exceptional customer service organization.”

NCDMV’s online renewal options for non-REAL ID driver’s licenses, launched Oct. 7, and REAL ID licenses, launched Oct. 20, have processed more than 32,000 transactions in just four weeks.

Online renewals of state ID cards are expected by the end of the year.

“Together, these SB 245 enhancements are projected to enable up to 400,000 additional online transactions annually, reducing in-office visits and improving service for all North Carolinians,” NCDOT officials wrote in a press release.

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