Anniston Star / Zach Tyler–
The increase comes after The Alabama Law Enforecment Agency announced plans to revamp the licensing system in August of last year in an effort to recoup the cost of producing the license.
License Commissioner Barry Robertson and residents wish the agency had given better prior notice of the change.
Under the new fee schedule, a drivers license will now cost $36.25 according to the agency’s website. It will cost $31.25 to get a duplicate of or to change information on a license, such as a surname or address.
In a release statement, ALEA stated that “the cost for the state to produce and issue an Alabama driver license far exceeds the cost the citizen is charged to obtain a driver license.”
Testing and issuance fees for non-driver identification cards for senior citizens or individuals with physical or mental disabilities would not be changed.
Robertson said his office received an email about the change Friday afternoon, but the email did not include the new amount to be charged, and it wasn’t until Monday morning that the new fee schedule was released.
Wednesday’s release statement stated that the goals of the law enforcement agency were to use the additional revenue to update the software used to issue licenses and fill office positions vacated by state troopers now patrolling the highways.