The state Division of Motor Vehicles will allow some drivers to renew their licenses online, beginning Tuesday.

The Department of Safety will announce its plans officially Monday, releasing few details in advance of that event. But the new rules will allow for one online drive's license renewal every 10 years. Licenses are valid for five years, so drivers would need to visit the DMV for every other renewal, to take an eye test and get a new picture taken.

Customers waiting for motor vehicle services recently cheered the development.

"Welcome to the 20th century," said Bill Roy of Manchester, stressing the word "20th." "It should have been done years ago."

Department of Safety spokesman Jim Van Dongen said online services at this point would be limited to single renewals of a driver's license, though other services could be expanded in the future. The goal, Van Dongen said, is to improve customer service.

Gov. John Lynch talked about the online license renewals in his February budget address. Lynch said then that he expected the program to be ready by this fall. The online licensing comes on top of a change last year, in which communities were linked electronically with the state in order to process car registrations online. Lynch used the technological changes as a justification for closing several regional offices.

Manning said that in addition to the budget savings, "the goal behind it is to be more efficient in delivering services to people of the state."

Manning said the change will cut down on the number of people going to the DMV and will free up staff for other business.

The new law will apply to regular and motorcycle licenses, but not to commercial licenses or to drivers over age 75, who need to take an annual road test. Drivers will not be able to renew their licenses online if they are changing their names or addresses.

A clerk at the Concord DMV said lines there are rarely more than 15 minutes long. Even so, several customers said they would love to avoid an extra trip to the DMV. Dianne Green lives in Hillsboro, and she took advantage of a vacation day this week to renew her license. Otherwise, she said, she would have to take time off work to drive to the DMV in Concord.

"It would be excellent," Green said of online renewal. "I do everything online."

Gary Blanchard lives in Concord but works in West Lebanon. He said he would go to the DMV in Lebanon, but the office recently closed.

"It's tough for people who have to go a long way away," Blachard said. "Most people are working the hours the licensing bureau is open."

Michael Donnellan said he has some concerns about security with an online system. But he said he already did much of his banking online while living overseas.

"Anything you can do online, I'm for," he said.