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Service Oklahoma seeks flat $52.8M as it touts Real ID success, new record system and CDL pilot
Summary
Service Oklahoma told the appropriations committee it will hold its FY 2027 appropriation at $52.8 million while rolling out a new unified system of record (about $21M encumbered), piloting CDL testing hubs and launching a mobile wallet; agency cited improved wait and transaction times.
Jay Doyle, chief executive for Service Oklahoma, told the General Government/Transportation Appropriations Committee the agency requests a flat $52.8 million appropriation for FY 2027 and described operational gains and planned investments tied to a new unified system of record.
Doyle said Service Oklahoma, created in 2022 to reduce long waits for driver's license services, successfully handled the Real ID deadline on May 7, 2025, despite a 64% surge in demand by extending hours and accepting walk-ins. "We went through that deadline in a really seamless experience," Doyle said.
The agency operates 31 state-run driver's license exam locations and partners with about 240 licensed operators; when licensed operators are counted, Doyle said 95% of Oklahomans are within a 20‑minute drive of a service center. Doyle acknowledged geographic challenges in a large state and noted the agency counts about 271 total locations when operators are included.
Doyle described a planned modernization: a new unified system of record for driver and motor-vehicle services expected to go live Presidents' Day weekend (roughly 30 days from the hearing). He said about $21,000,000 of revolving fund cash is encumbered for the system and projected the modernization will cut transaction times from roughly 18 minutes to about 10 minutes and allow single-terminal transactions for both driver's license and motor vehicle services.
On workforce and customer service metrics, Doyle said average public wait time last year was about 34 minutes (down from over an hour), the agency answered 91% of phone calls and average transaction time fell from roughly 25–30 minutes to about 18 minutes with the current system. The agency also launched an AI chatbot (with AWS) that reduced call volume by about 10% and earned a digital innovation award.
Doyle outlined FY 2027 projects including a CDL testing hub pilot (partnering with ODOT) to consolidate written testing, driving skills and license issuance in one site and increase CDL testing capacity by an estimated four times. He also said the agency plans an optional mobile wallet (estimated initial capital cost about $1,000,000) to send optional push notifications to customers about renewals and scams.
Doyle said the agency’s revolving-fund balance showed about $28,000,000 at end of FY 2025, but that multi-year license and registration options have front-loaded revenue. He said roughly $21,000,000 is encumbered for the modernization contract and that the agency anticipates $2–3 million remaining in revolving funds by the end of FY 2028.
Senators asked for clarification about a $51.7 million figure that appeared in committee materials; Doyle said that number reflected expenditures and carryover—his office reported end-of‑FY25 revolving cash at $28 million and offered to provide the committee with contract details (including AMBA dues) on request. The committee recessed for lunch with no formal vote recorded on Service Oklahoma's appropriation request.
