You may have heard about the Department of Licensing’s plan to consolidate the Auburn Licensing Service Office with the office in Kent. Many of you are wondering why such a busy office is slated for closure.

We are committed to providing as many alternatives as possible for the citizens of Auburn to make this transition as smooth as possible. In reality, 43 percent of all driver licensing transactions don’t even require visiting an office and can be taken care of from our customers’ homes over the Internet. If you’re eligible for online driver license renewal, and most people are, it’s likely you won’t have to visit an office more than once every ten years.  We hope to work with the City of Auburn to include links to our online services on their website to make finding these options even easier for you.

At the Kent and Puyallup LSOs, you will soon find self-service Internet kiosks where customers can renew their licenses or order a duplicate without waiting in line. Beginning this summer, the Kent office will expand their hours of operation and to 7 p.m. on weeknights and begin offering all-day service on Saturdays. Our Puyallup office will offer these same extended hours in the fall.

We also are partnering with local driver training schools to offer drive and knowledge tests at their locations, thereby reaching numerous teens or first time licensees at one time and minimizing their need to visit our office locations.

We believe by maximizing the use of modern technology and exploring new, innovative customer service options, we will continue to offer great customer service while protecting public safety and saving taxpayers millions of dollars each year. Please check out the Department’s website for more information about online services at www.dol.wa.gov

As Gov. Gregoire announced in her reform package, DOL is transforming customer service to offer a broader variety of service options and reduce expenses.

We appreciate your support in helping us make this transition in your community.

– Liz Luce, director, Washington State Department of Licensing