State Budget Requires Expansion of DMV Service Locations

A new requirement on the 2011-2013 state budget says that the Division of Motor Vehicles driver license and ID card services must be offered in each county at least 20 hours per week. This expansion requires the DMV to hire new staff.

Currently, 30 counties in Wisconsin have DMV customer service centers that are open 20 or more hours per week and there are 72 counties in state. In a press release the DMV says, “efforts are underway to find the appropriate locations, negotiate leases, and furnish these new facilities.”

DMV plans to open the new service centers by the end of January of 2012. Until then, DMV service hours remain in place for the current 88 locations.

Another recently passed law in the state allows the issuance of an ID card free of charge if it is requested for voting purposes starting July 1. There are some restrictions on the issuance of free photo ID cards. For example, a person holding a valid driver license is not eligible for a free photo ID, nor is someone who would not be at least 18 years of age at the time of the next election.