Overdue for a trip to the DMV? More services available online, in-person

Extended wait times to process vehicle titles and registrations are somewhat waning, but Oregon Driver & Motor Vehicle services officials say they still have a lot of catching up to do following delays caused by the pandemic. 

From March through June of 2020, the DMV closed its 60 offices across Oregon, prompting a huge backlog. When the offices reopened, the backlog was exacerbated by staff shortages and restrictions such as capacity limits and appointment-only services, DMV spokesperson David House said.

Phone systems were clogged.

"It was off the charts. You couldn't get through sometimes ...  we heard stories of people who waited on hold for about 45 minutes or an hour," House said. 

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Appointments were snatched up within minutes. Wait times for vehicle titles — the most backlogged service — topped out at 20 weeks  — about five months, at one point, he said.

But House says the agency appears to be at a turning point. 

The DMV has increased its available appointments and is also now accepting walk-ins. Though there are no capacity limits, customers are required to wear masks in the offices and during driving tests. You can check the wait estimates here. 

The agency is serving more than 40,000 people per week at field offices — nearly four times the amount during the pandemic. House said if a customer were to drop in now, they'd get their license or title in the mail within eight weeks. 

The average wait time over the phone is down to about 15 minutes.

"We're kind of caught up in most things," he said. "It's been this gradual shift in the tide over the past year, back closer and closer to some new normal." 

House said the launch of about two dozen online DMV services earlier this year helped with the overload. The services, including registration and license renewal, had been in the works for years. A new law this year eliminated the requirement that new residents with a license from another state take the written test to get an Oregon license. 

Check out DMV services online: oregon.gov/odot/DMV/Pages/DriverID/Index.aspx

Multiple vehicle service-related moratoriums were put in place during the pandemic. The latest one, signed into law May 6 by Gov. Kate Brown, provides a grace period on citations for expired driver licenses, permits, vehicle registration and disabled parking placards. The new law only applies to expiration dates of less than six months from the date of the violation and will expire Dec. 31, according to the DMV website. 

With thousands of people likely in need of services before the moratorium expires, House recommends getting ahead of the anticipated end-of-the-year rush.

House said staffing shortages are still a factor, but it's not the biggest factor.

"If we were 100% staffed, we'd still have a backlog," House said, because of the three months they were closed. "It doesn't take much of a glitch to cause a backlog and we've never had anything to make us close our offices for three months. Maybe three days for a blizzard ... but this is totally off the scale in terms of missed work."

"If you didn't go to a restaurant last year, it's not like I've got to still go because it's required by law," he said. "This business that we missed last year and earlier this year we have to do it, it's not something that you can skip."

Save yourself a trip to the DMV

Many services are now available online, so agency officials say it's worth checking the DMV website before making the trip. If you have to go in person, make an appointment through dmv2u.oregon.gov/eServices/_/, or just show up.

Locations: 

• South Salem DMV: 4825 Commercial Street SE, Suite 120; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.
• North Salem DMV: 955 Lancaster Drive NE; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Virginia Barreda is the breaking news and public safety reporter for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at 503-399-6657 or at vbarreda@statesmanjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter at @vbarreda2.