News Release
June 4, 2012
12-147
McMinnville and South Salem offices will switch to Monday-Friday schedule
The South Salem and McMinnville DMV offices will be open for business Monday through Friday instead of Tuesday through Saturday as of July 2.
June 30 will be the last day these offices are open for business on a weekend.
Both offices now open Tuesday through Friday and half a day Saturday. Starting July 2, the offices will be open standard weekday hours of 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, except Wednesdays when they open at 9 a.m.
Both offices will remain accessible to customers a total of 44 hours per week.
“The ways people do business with DMV have changed significantly over the past several years,” DMV Administrator Tom McClellan said. “People are doing more business with DMV online or through the mail, and they need to visit a DMV in person less often than in the past.”
During the past few years, DMV has moved toward standard office hours across the state, and this year closed its last “express” offices, which could not provide all DMV services.
These changes allow DMV to have more staff available in full-service offices and to provide relief help during a standard Monday-Friday schedule.
“Mondays and Fridays tend to be the busiest days of the week with the longest lines,” McClellan said. “Having South Salem and McMinnville offices closed Mondays does not fit what most people need. Shifting to Monday-through-Friday will increase DMV’s customer service capacity at its field offices during weekdays with a leaner staff in today’s economic climate.”
DMV also expects that fewer people will need to make repeat visits because their transaction cannot be completed on a Saturday. During standard Monday-Friday business hours, DMV support staff and computer technicians are available at DMV Headquarters for complex transactions and technical support.
In these economic times, both businesses and government agencies are looking for ways to streamline services and become more efficient. DMV is participating in the Oregon Department of Transportation’s overall staff reduction initiative to right-size the agency to address forecasted revenue shortfalls.
“The main reason for recent changes at DMV offices across the state is to align our diminishing resources with the evolving needs of customers,” McClellan said.
Here are some major changes in recent years to how people do business with DMV:
People now renew their vehicle registrations by mail, online or at DEQ stations in areas that require emissions testing.
Customers use DMV online services to renew vehicle registrations, file a change of address, or submit a sold-vehicle notice.
People download forms from the internet to do many other transactions by mail.
Oregon driver licenses and identification cards are now valid for eight years, which cut in half the frequency that people must come to a DMV office for a new photo and card.
Tougher identification and eligibility requirements that Oregon implemented the past few years have required visits to full-service offices with staff at DMV Headquarters available to assist with complex situations. Limited-service offices and offices open Saturdays often need to ask customers to return to a full-service office another day.
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More Information
For more information, contact:
David House DMV Public Affairs
(503) 945-5270