Efforts to shorten wait times at Missouri DMVs now underway

NIXA, Mo. (KY3) - The Missouri Department of Revenue (DOR) is working on a program to shorten wait times at privately-run license offices in Missouri, which contract with the state to issue both driver’s licenses and license plates.

Joe Daues is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Breast Cancer Foundation of the Ozarks (BCFO). Daues said BCFO has had state contracts with the DOR since 2010.

“We are the fee agents so our organization runs these offices for the state,” Daues said. “We do all the states business, collect money for the state, then send it up to the state everyday.”

Daues said BCFO does this for its three DMVs - Nixa, Republic, and Ozark. Daues said wait times at DMVs have always been notoriously bad.

“This is kind of an issue the state has been working on and license offices like us have been working on for a number of years actually,” Daues said.

He said the Nixa location has a more spacious office, extra workers, and added a greeter to assist anyone that walks through the door. Daues said it can still get really busy even with the help.

“For instance if it’s test day and a lot of teenagers are taking their drivers test, we might have a whole influx of people coming into the Nixa office.”

Robert Klug goes to the DMV often for his job and he said he’s impressed what the Nixa DMV has done to make it more efficient for the customers.

“You can definitely tell that they’ve added staff here and it moves people in and out a lot more quickly. They’ve added more seating for the patrons that come and wait,” Klug said.

The DOR is supposed to officially launch this wait time compliance program in October so more DMVs hire extra help and make accommodations, just like the Nixa one.

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