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Clerk: stricter state residency checks and specialized staff slow dealer packet processing
Summary
MVR staff told commissioners that stricter enforcement of state residency proofs and turnover among specialized staff has increased processing time for dealer packets; staff said only a handful of employees have the expertise to process high-volume dealer work correctly.
Benny Smith, the motor-vehicle registration administrator, told the commission that state law requires two proofs of residency for registration and that a previous administration had at times accepted only one proof—speeding processing but creating compliance concerns.
"The requirements the state law requires that you have 2 proofs of residency. And so the prior clerk or the prior administration was allowing 1," Smith said, adding that the clerk decided to adhere strictly to state law which increased processing time for dealer packs. He said specialized knowledge is required to process dealer packets correctly and that only five or six staff members possess that institutional expertise.
Smith described dealer volumes of 20–25 packets per day per dealer in some cases and said that staffing and turnover have left the office with too few specialists to keep pace during peak seasons. The clerk's office has instituted a separate renewal line and proposed temporary staffing during seasonal peaks to handle volume, but staff said kiosks and technology could reduce in-person renewal demand and free specialists for dealer work.
Commissioners asked follow-up questions about whether the issue is policy, staffing, or technology; staff said all three contribute and will return with operational specifics when requested.
