News Release

02/09/12
12-060

What is DMV proposing?

DMV has proposed to close its last two limited-service offices and to stop offering Saturday business hours at the final three remaining DMV offices that are open Saturdays. DMV would reassign staff from the two closed offices and change work schedules to strengthen its customer service capacity during normal Monday-Friday business hours.

Which five offices are affected?

Office	Current days open	Proposed
McMinnville	Tuesday-Friday, half day Saturday; closed Mondays	Monday-Friday
Sherwood	Tuesday-Friday, half day Saturday; closed Mondays	Monday-Friday
South Salem	Tuesday-Friday, half day Saturday; closed Mondays	Monday-Friday
Tanasbourne	Tuesday-Saturday; closed Mondays	Close in Spring 2012
Valley River Center	Tuesday-Saturday; closed Mondays	Close in Spring 2012

McMinnville, Sherwood and South Salem offices are open to the public 44 hours per week from Tuesday through Friday and half a day on Saturday. With the proposed change, these three offices still would be open 44 hours per week, but they would adopt the statewide standard of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday except Wednesdays, when the offices open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Why is DMV proposing these changes?
This package of changes will provide better customer service at lower cost by increasing staff at full-service offices during standard Monday-Friday business hours. Reassigning staff to full-service offices and switching to Monday-Friday business hours will:

• Enable more customers to complete transactions in a single visit
• Increase capacity to assist DMV customers during hours when most people choose to visit DMV offices
• Reduce customer wait times
• Increase the number of drive-test appointments available
• Provide a full day of business on Monday instead of half a day on Saturdays
• Set consistent hours statewide for better public awareness
• Save taxpayers nearly half a million dollars per biennium through reduced overtime, travel, lease payments, utilities, equipment, facility maintenance and other costs

Why switch to Monday-Friday from Tuesday-Saturday?

• During weekdays, DMV can provide its full range of services and offer shorter wait times. Mondays and Fridays are typically the busiest days at DMV offices.
• During weekdays, DMV Headquarters staff members are available to assist with complex transactions and situations that require records research, special expertise or upper-management approval. This will reduce the number of repeat visits by customers.
• Monday-Friday hours are the norm today for non-emergency government services and many businesses.
• Many DMV transactions can be done by mail or online, reducing the need to visit DMV offices in person on any day of the week.
• Many people have flexible work schedules, reducing the demand for Saturday hours. DMV has ended Saturday service in most cities and regions across the state.
• DMV will utilize employees more effectively, including less downtime due to scheduled computer system outages during weekends.
• DMV will gain efficiencies by ending Saturday business hours. Closure of the last two limited-service offices leaves only three Tuesday-Saturday DMV offices in Oregon, so support staff at DMV Headquarters would be under-utilized on Saturdays.

Why close the last two limited-service mall offices now?

• Leases for both the Tanasbourne and Valley River Center are expiring this year. Use of limited-service offices is declining, and the need for state government to adjust to tight budgets is going to continue for the foreseeable future. This is a logical time to close these offices.
• Use of limited-service offices has declined because people need to visit DMV offices less often than when these locations opened in the 1980s. Customer transactions declined 13 percent at Valley River Center from 2006 to 2010 and 25 percent at Tanasbourne from 2007 to 2010.
• About 60 percent of transactions at Valley River Center and 70 percent at Tanasbourne can be done by mail or online (or at DEQ for Portland-area residents at Tanasbourne). Customers have only begun a shift to more convenient ways of doing business, so DMV expects this trend to continue and perhaps accelerate.
• Three full-service DMV offices are within a few miles of the Valley River Center office: West Eugene (4 miles); Springfield (8 miles); and Junction City (14 miles).
• Three full-service DMVs are also within a few miles of the Tanasbourne office: Beaverton (6 miles); Hillsboro (8 miles); and Sherwood (14 miles).

What are the limits of limited-service offices?
Limited-service offices, located in shopping malls, cannot offer these key services:

• Driver knowledge tests
• Driver skills test (behind-the-wheel)
• Driver licenses (no original issuance)
• Vehicle title and registration for out-of-state vehicles
• Vehicle title and registration for vehicles requiring a VIN inspection

Why do people need to visit DMV less often than in the past?
People don't need to visit a DMV office in person as much because of several changes over the past 15 years:

• Since 2000, driver license and ID card holders have been required to visit in person to renew their card every eight years instead of every four.
• The ability to download forms from OregonDMV.com and print them at home makes doing business by mail even more convenient for more types of transactions.
• Since 2004, customers have had the option to renew their vehicle registrations, change their residence address and report the sale of their vehicle online at OregonDMV.com.
• Customers in areas that require vehicle emissions testing also have the option to renew at the emissions testing site or online.
• Customers can use the mail to do many transactions, including vehicle registration renewals.
• The first registration period for a new car is four years instead of two, eliminating the need for one common transaction (whether in-person, by mail or online) during the lifespan of a vehicle.
• Vehicle dealers long have been able to file title and registration paperwork to DMV on behalf of car buyers. Since 2003, many dealers have enhanced that service to include issuing license plates and registration stickers at the time of sale by using DMV's Electronic Vehicle Registration System.