Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

Starting Monday, driver’s license offices across the state of Alabama closed for a week-long system update. Related online services also became unavailable. Those with slightly outdated licenses don’t need to worry, according to Chambers County Judge of Probate Paul Story, who said Alabama police officers won’t penalize drivers for having licenses that have expired for “a few days to a week.” Driver’s license offices are currently expected to reopen next Tuesday.

“ALEA, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, is conducting an update of hardware and software to a new system called LEADS,” Story said.

LEADS stands for Alabama Law Enforcement Agency Driver License System.

“I met with a LEADS team today and had the hardware and software installed in the annex and the probate office at the courthouse in LaFayette,” Story said. “The reason why it is down for the week is because they’re conducting tests on the new system as well as making sure that all the [sites] across the state are linking in for the knowledge testing, which is testing for your learners permits or reissuance of an ID, as well as making sure that all the probate offices across the state are online with renewals and duplications on the new hardware and software.”

Story said the new system will be beneficial to citizens and asked that they be patient as it’s installed and tested. Some of the things the new LEADS system will allow citizens to do are to pre-apply for driver’s licenses, update addresses, reinstate licenses and upload U.S. Department of Transportation medical cards.

He said people in Chambers County can still get free voting ID cards through the Board of Registrars office.

Alabama Law Enforcement Agency examiners will still administer Class D and CDL driving tests during this time. Those who pass these tests will be issued their licenses when driver’s license offices reopen.

“The probate office will still only be handling the duplication and renewals,” he said. “Anything to do with testing or reissuance after any kind of court proceedings or any kinds of major changes outside of just general change of address will still have to be done at the examiner’s office.”

Story said the main regional examiner’s office is in Opelika, while the local examiner’s office in LaFayette, across from the highway department, is open every Thursday.