Wait times at Mississippi DMVs tripled from 2017 to 2019, report says. Here’s why.
Have you been wondering why it takes so long to renew your driver’s license on the Mississippi Gulf Coast?
Wait times to get drivers’ licenses or ID cards renewed in Mississippi tripled on average from 2017 to 2019, according to a report from the Legislative Committee on Performance Evaluation and Expenditure Review
The report broke down several factors that led to the increased wait times at field offices.
One factor, according to the PEER report, was keeping employees. Vacancy rates for examiner positions increased from 20% in June 2018 to 30% in June 2019. A new computer system, put in place to meet federal mandates like the Real ID Act and changes to commercial drivers’ license requirements, has also caused issues.
Processing times for routine transactions like ID card or CDL renewals increased by 40% to 50%. The new system also “lessens examiners’ flexibility in processing transactions,” and the training to operate the new system and changing documentation requirements have challenged examiners.
Issues with kiosk services, as well as outdated website information and forms that prevent customers from being ready to receive services at the bureau’s field offices, also caused problems, according to the report.
“While no single factor is overwhelmingly significant, when taken together, all contribute to increased times customers must wait,” the report reads.
Neighboring states like Alabama and Louisiana generally offer better face-to-face and online services than the DPS Driver Service Bureau in Mississippi, according to the report.
The bureau has taken steps to lessen customer wait times by working to fill vacant positions and implementing appointment scheduling. But the report states Mississippi should consider other options like “implementing a home or school-based online testing protocol for youth drivers.”
This story was originally published December 18, 2019 at 10:42 AM.