Allow extra time to renew your license

Is your drivers license about to expire?

If so, you had better allow a little extra time to get it renewed -- especially if you plan to fly anywhere commercially any time soon.

Thanks to new federal requirements, it will take you a week or so to receive your new license after you make your appearance at the DMV.

Additionally, the new licenses will be thinner, tougher and more tamper-resistant, and, because your face will be scanned with facial recognition capable of matching yours with the 1.5 million other faces in the state's database.

No toothy grin, thanks; only a slight Mona Lisa-ish enigmatic, plain vanilla smile that makes it easy for a computer to recognize you.

Oh, and no hats, hair hanging in the face, dark glasses or anything else that might throw the software off.

Because the licenses will be printed only in Atlanta, it will take, usually, five to seven days to receive your new license.

Until then, the state will issue a temporary license.

The rub is, officials aren't certain the federal government will allow Nebraskans to use those while flying. That's why it pays to plan ahead.

The new licenses, which will begin being issued July 20, will cost you $26.50 including a $2.50 security fee.