Wright County Government Closes All License Bureaus Till April 10

Press release from the Wright County Government:

March 26, 2020

This morning (March 26), the Wright County License Bureau was informed that, as part of Gov. Tim Walz’s “Stay-at-Home” Executive order, all License Bureaus and deputy registrars will have their offices shut down through Friday, April 10.

This was a decision made at the state level and no local license bureaus and deputy registrars were given the option of staying open.

As a result, the processes the Wright County License Bureau was able to perform through the mail or on-line will stop being available until after April 10. For those looking to get license tabs renewed, they can still submit their paperwork to get tabs until 3 P.M. FRIDAY, MARCH 27. After that time, tab renewals can still be dropped off, but they can’t be processed until the state re-opens license bureaus.

The following is the memo sent our by the Minnesota Department of Motor Vehicles to the impacted license bureaus and deputy registrars:

To: All Deputy Registrars, Driver’s License Agents and Dealers

Governor Tim Walz issued a stay-at-home order for Minnesota effective Friday, March 27, at 11:59 p.m. through April 10. Only essential services will remain open. Certain activities are allowed, such as outdoor exercise, obtaining food, gas, and needed supplies, seeking medical services, caring for others, and relocating due to safety or displacement.What this means to you. Beginning Saturday, March 27:

• All driver’s license agents and deputy registrar offices must close.
• • All Fast DS and motor vehicle work in your office must be fully processed. You cannot have any unprocessed work.
  • All financial deposits must be made by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, March 27. You cannot have open reports.
  • All inventory should be secured in your office for the duration of the stay-at-home order.
• All DVS offices will be closed.
• • DVS staff that can do so will telework, processing applications and responding to public emails.
  • The MNDRIVE project team will work remotely on the VTRS and Fast V11 to V12 project.
• Dealers: The order recognizes that motor vehicle repairs and limited sales are considered critical services and may continue during this period. According to the order, dealerships may conduct "sales that are necessary to allow for essential travel, when conducted by appointment, and only when CDC and MDH guidelines, including social distancing, can be met.”

Granting extensions for driver’s licenses and ID cards requires a change to state law. The Minnesota legislature is scheduled to consider this topic on March 26. The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Driver and Vehicle Services division (DPS-DVS) will provide additional information and guidance if anything changes.

We know this is a challenging time and we appreciate all that you have done in the past several weeks to serve your communities. Complying with the Governor’s stay-at-home order will make a positive difference for the health and safety of Minnesotans.

This press release was produced by the Wright County Government. The views expressed here are the author’s own.