By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

COEUR d'ALENE — If you're fretting about not being able to get your driver's license renewed in time thanks to agonizing delays and shutdowns at the DMV due to ongoing computer problems, relax.

The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles announced Wednesday it’s offering an emergency extension through Oct. 31 for all drivers with expiring or expired driver’s licenses.

"This level of service affecting citizens, sheriffs and the Idaho Transportation Department is unacceptable," said ITD DMV Administrator Alberto Gonzalez. "ITD has been continuing to work with our vendor as they work toward a solution, but outages have increased and even spread to other states."

Severe vendor software issues forced most DMV county offices that issue driver’s licenses to close their doors on Tuesday and Wednesday and, as of Wednesday night, ITD and its vendor, Gemalto, were still scrambling to develop a short-term fix in time to re-open the offices today.

"(Today) is the target," ITD Spokeswoman Jennifer Gonzalez said late Wednesday afternoon. "Our goal is to re-open as quickly as possible."

There are some exclusions to the extension, including commercial driver’s license holders who do not have a legal presence document on file with Idaho’s DMV, and drivers whose privileges are currently withdrawn until reinstatement requirements are fulfilled.

There are DMV offices in Coeur d'Alene and Post Falls. Idaho and Nebraska are the lone states in which the county sheriff's offices staff the operations. State transportation departments staff them in other states.

The delays and closures, which have occurred off and on for the past 18 months, have frustrated sheriffs statewide.

Idaho Gov. Butch Otter on Tuesday announced that a working group will be formed involving all Idaho stakeholder agencies to develop a long-term Idaho solution.

The Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday issued a press release stating it tried again to re-open its offices in the morning, but had to close due to the computer problems.

"Once again, we apologize for these issues and are doing the best we can working with ITD," the press release states.

Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger said Wednesday night that he was expecting the computers to be fixed by this morning so the offices could re-open.

The press release encouraged residents to visit ITD's website at https://itd.idaho.gov/ for the latest update on the closures.

Customers or agencies with questions or in need of documentation to support the extension should call the ITD DMV at 208-334-8586 or contact their local sheriff’s office.