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Driver & Vehicle Service Upgrades Causing Long Lines, Wait Times

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The upgrade to Minnesota's Driver and Vehicle Services system has hit some bumps in the road.

While state offices are up and running, six of the 175 locally-owned offices closed Tuesday because of issues. Some had limited services.

The Department of Public Safety said it's because those offices had not finished the work on their end. That made for longer lines, transaction times and aggravation.

Making a trip to the DVS can be time consuming already, but add in an overhaul of a 30-year-old system and it can put the brakes on your day.

"I'm trying to get the correct license tabs for my new vehicle and the Burnsville office said they couldn't with their new system be able to handle the switch for tabs, so they sent me down here but this was the incorrect place," Rich Pluntz said.

DMV Lines
(credit: CBS)

Inside Sears on Rice Street in St. Paul, long lines frustrated folks who were waiting for titles at the state's busiest location.

"It's ridiculous. I've got maybe another hour or so, so I might as well maybe go buy me some work boots," Leroy Murray said.

Services were also limited or unavailable last week so the system could be made faster and with better security.

Workers trained for months, but still Dakota and Ramsey counties reported slow going, which meant longer wait times.

Hennepin County reported glitches and not being able to access the state system or complete a transaction.

"I expected to wait a while, just hearing horror stories about waiting and they're changing the system," Erin Holmen said.

But Holmen said she zipped through the tab renewal line.

"If you have all your information, everything you need, just walk up, hand it to them and you're done," Holmen said.

Pluntz was in line again at his third location of the day.

"Whoo hoo, I did it!" Pluntz said. "I got my new license tabs! Me and my wife can drive safely now. It was only three or four hours!"

You can renew tabs online. DPS recommends customers allow extra time while everyone adjusts to the new system.

You may want to call ahead to make sure your local office is equipped to handle the type of service you need.

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