CapRadio spoke with experts to answer your questions:

I need to get a STAR station smog check in order to renew my vehicle registration. I am a senior living alone. Should I risk going out?

The DMV advises that seniors follow the quarantine orders put forth for people over the age of 65 and those who may be categorized as high risk.

If you have a recently expired license or vehicle registration, the DMV has instituted a 60-day grace period through May 15, 2020, when people can reschedule visits to renew these items. The same will be done with vehicles needing smog checks.

“The DMV has taken a number of steps to protect seniors from having to come to a DMV office, including asking California law enforcement to exercise discretion before issuing citations for driving with a recently expired license or vehicle registration,” said Anita Gore with the DMV.

Have any DMV registration deadlines changed?

Gore added that the department has not changed deadlines at this time, but she did say that vehicle registration penalties will be waived as appropriate. “The DMV reminds customers that the majority of driver license and vehicle registration renewals can be completed without visiting an office,” Gore said. Visit DMV Online Services andDMV Anytime for more information.

What are DMV hours?

“The DMV suspended extended morning hours and Saturday service at participating offices,” Gore said. And the current office hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except for Wednesday, when offices open at 9 a.m.

Currently, the DMV is honoring all pre-existing appointments, but is not accepting new ones. It is also prioritizing appointments that must be done in person at an office. They advise that all at-risk populations and people who feel sick not visit an office at this time.

Are they doing things to make it safe to go to offices?

There are a few steps the office has been taking. For one, they’ve cancelled all drive tests and are only handling appointment-only visits, so no more walk-ins. They’ve suspended extended morning hours and Saturday hours, and they’ve asked that police are more flexible with issuing citations for those driving with expired licenses or vehicle registrations during this time.

“These actions significantly reduce the number of people in our offices at any given time and promote social distancing recommendations,” Gore said. “We continue to serve individuals who have previously scheduled appointments and are redirecting customers to other service channels if their transaction does not require an office visit.”

The DMV is also helping visitors who do need to come in for in-person appointments text notifications so customers can leave the office after checking in and then return when it’s their turn at a service window.

“In addition, there is reduced seating in the lobby to create more space between seats,” she said.

Is the deadline for Real ID being pushed back?

No. As of publication, the current deadline for all Californians to have a Real ID card remains at its set date of October 1, 2020.

DMV Director Steve Gordon says they’ve heard that the deadline could be extended, but that they have not heard any word on this yet.

“The California DMV is encouraged by the President’s remarks indicating that the federal government will extend the enforcement date for REAL ID,” Gordon said. President Donald Trump has said he plans to extend the Real ID deadline and that word on the new date should be released “soon,” though there has been no further update yet.

“This would relieve the urgency for people to visit local DMV offices and bolster the state’s efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19. We look forward to learning more about the President’s direction and sharing that information with the public.”

How often should you drive your car to keep it in working condition?

Experts say letting your car sit for a few days without being driven shouldn’t be a big deal, but that those who plan to not use their car for weeks or months should plan to run the engine once every two weeks.

Karl Brauer of Kelley Blue Book and Autotrader said the biggest issue an undriven car could have during this time would be losing its battery charge. But if owners have a car battery charger they can use once a week, their car should be just fine not being driven.

“You could go half a year without starting your car, and if it’s on a battery there will be almost no negative effect to it,” Brauer said.

For owners without a battery charger, he suggests a quick drive once every two weeks to keep the battery working.

“Start the car and let it run, ideally you’d start it and drive it around for probably 15 minutes, until you see the engine temperature get up to the fully operating zone, and then go back to your house and re-park it again. If you did that every two weeks, you could do that indefinitely as long as you had gas in the car,” he said.