Georgia DDS says 99.913% Real ID compliance, expands digital credentials and CDL testing capacity

Commissioner Moore, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS), told the House appropriations committee that 99.913% of Georgia license holders are Real ID compliant and that the agency is expanding digital credentials, virtual road testing and CDL capacity.

The department’s high Real ID compliance rate matters because, Moore said, passengers without a credential marked with a star will be unable to fly domestically or enter federal buildings after the federal deadline. “We’re very, very fortunate in our state that 99.913 percent of our citizens are real ID compliant,” Moore said.

Moore gave operational data to underscore the department’s customer-service improvements: DDS reported about 8,800,000 valid license holders statewide and served roughly 2,800,000 people face-to-face in 2024. The agency’s customer average wait time from ticketing to counter is 7 minutes, 26 seconds, and DDS serves 98% of customers within 30 minutes, Moore said.

Moore described several technology and program changes intended to reduce fraud and improve convenience. DDS has rolled out a mobile driver’s license compatible with Apple, Google and Samsung wallets; Moore said 426,000 active mobile driver’s licenses are in use and the credential supports NFC “tap” verification rather than simple visual inspection. “It’s very much like a tap to pay sort of technology,” Moore said.

The department also uses virtual road-test technology that places sensors and cameras in a test vehicle so examiners do not need to sit in the car. Moore said that the virtual option is optional for families but accounts for roughly 80% of the road tests the agency administers. He said the agency partners with 230 driver training schools and 54 third-party testing schools and certifies instructors and examiners who work with the agency.

Moore noted growth in the commercial driver’s license (CDL) population: Georgia began 2024 with about 385,000 CDL holders and had about 416,000 as of Dec. 31, 2024. He said the average age of a CDL holder in the state is 53 and that Georgia relies on private third-party examiners and training providers to expand capacity.

The department is preparing for a new federal requirement from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that medical providers transmit CDL medical certificates to FMCSA directly. “The department can no longer accept medical certificates at our office, by FMCSA rule,” Moore said; the rule takes effect Feb. 24 (year stated in the presentation). Moore said DDS has notified CDL holders and is conducting outreach.

Moore also described fraud-prevention steps, including expanded video and text identity-verification for online transactions and plans to increase electronic verification for address changes and other online services. He said the agency has implemented self-service kiosks in offices (about 309 kiosks statewide were reported) and expanded partnerships with local tax commissioners and retailers to provide licensing services at more locations.

On facilities, Moore said DDS opened a Douglasville CDL site, added an 11th CDL site, and partnered with a private company to relocate a Gainesville office; the agency plans a Hazelhurst CDL site in south Georgia, expansion in Rome and relocation of an Athens-area office to Bogart in Oconee County. He said some new sites will serve multiple state agencies, naming the Georgia State Patrol and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI) as planned campus partners for the Bogart location.

Moore yielded to committee questions after the presentation; several legislators praised frontline staff and singled out Janice Holman by name for constituent assistance.

Looking ahead, Moore said DDS will continue to push online service adoption, expand CDL testing capacity and pursue additional fraud-prevention technology while complying with federal requirements.