Car owners beware, tag offices and DMV's in Kansas are closed for the rest of the week. The offices are shut down shut down for one week starting May 1 to make way for a major upgrade.
To help get people taken care of, tag offices had extended hours Monday. The office was open from 8 A.M. to 7 P.M. Monday. But the DMV was closed Monday.
It took about 15 minutes to move through the line at the tag office Friday morning at 7:45. The office had eight work stations open, more than usual, to help accommodate the long lines.
However, by 10:30 Friday morning the wait was an hour at the Woodlawn Tag Office.
It is a task car owners have to complete at least once a year, and most know, going to the tag office often comes with a wait.
"There has been years where its like oh my god is this line going to end," said Wichitan Chris Darrow.
"It gets even more hectic at the end of the month," said Wichitan Chris Sullivan.
That reputation should change when the state upgrades its computer system, to make the process faster and more convenient. But switching out the main frame will force every office to close for at least one week.
"We are going to transfer all motor vehicle records, which are almost 3 million, and all drivers license records," said Sedgwick County Treasurer Linda Kizzire.
Once the tag office opens again, everyone will notice different looking tags, Right now a tag with a random number is stapled to your paperwork, but the new tags are printed right on the paper and the number will match your license plate
The new system will also cut down on paperwork and postage, because it allows documents to be scanned on site and sent electronically to Topeka.
Plus it should save you time in line. A simple tag renewal usually takes about ten minutes, the new system shortens that down to less than minute.
So if you need to renew your tags or get new ones, best advice get it done now and avoid peak hours.
The tag office has expanded hours before and after the shutdown. It will be open from 8am-7pm April 26, 27 and 30.
All tag offices will close from May 1-8. Hours will expand again after the shut down.
On May 9, 10 & 11, offices will be open from 8am-7pm.
