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Iowa DOT outlines training, translation tools and 2026 modernization for Louisa County licensing office
Summary
Iowa DOT staff told Louisa County supervisors they have provided online scheduling, translated materials and training for the county licensing office, will roll out a new licensing system in 2026, and will supply Pocketalk translation devices to help non-English-speaking customers.
Iowa Department of Transportation staff joined the Louisa County Board of Supervisors by phone on Oct. 14 to review support provided to the county’s driver licensing operation and to discuss upcoming system changes.
Julie of the DOT said the agency set up Louisa County with access to its online appointment and in-office queuing system on July 1 and provided in-person and on-site training dates this summer. The DOT reported it supplied translated materials for Haitian Creole, Chin, Burmese and Spanish and offered multiple hands-on driver-licensing workshops; county staff attendance at the summer sessions was low, and one county employee is enrolled for a Nov. 18 workshop.
Julie told the board the DOT is “working on a modernization project” that will replace equipment and back-office systems with a phased rollout in 2026; staff agreed to provide a county-specific rollout timeline by email. The DOT also previewed a translation tool called Pocketalk that the state will provide to counties this year — a hand-held device that supports more than 90 languages to facilitate real-time communication between staff and customers.
County treasurer’s office staff said appointments and day-to-day issuance work continue but that staffing shortfalls (a current maternity leave) have reduced scheduling capacity; the treasurer’s office and DOT have scheduled monthly check-ins to improve coordination. DOT staff said its ACE team is covering customers with special needs where county staff need support.
No formal action was taken; the DOT committed to provide a rollout schedule for the 2026 modernization and to supply the county with Pocketalk devices.
