It was announced on April 1 by the Georgia Department of Revenue (DOR) that they will be implementing a new system called Georgia Driver Record and Integrated Vehicle Enterprise System (DRIVES). Their hope is “to upgrade and modernize the vehicle registration and titling system” and to “enable more self-service options, improve customer service, and enhance data integrity.”
There are some expected down-times and delays during and the following month after the transition, so the DOR recommends that “vehicle owners with renewal dates in May and June who normally renew in person are encouraged to do so prior to May 20 to avoid delays.” Also, they state that that there may be “longer than normal wait times when visiting the tag office” in June. They do expect that online renewals will not experience these type of delays.
The DOR gave the following synopsis of what to expect:
What to Expect: Friday, May 24:
- County Tag Offices will not be able to process transactions.
- All online motor vehicle related services including online tag renewal services will be offline May 21 – May 27.
- Motor Vehicle Self Service Kiosks will be offline May 21 – May 27.
- The Motor Vehicle Division will only be able to process Trip Permit transactions at the DOR Southmeadow facility. All other transactions including International Fuel Tax Agreements (IFTA) and International Registration Plans (IRP) will be unavailable.
How will this impact Georgia customers and drivers?
- In the first month of the DRIVES system, walk-in customers may experience delays and longer than normal wait times. To avoid such delays, Georgia residents with May and June renewal dates are encouraged to renew prior to Monday, May 20.
- Customers and dealers seeking to conduct any title transactions should complete their business at a county tag office prior to Friday, May 24.
- Dealers will be able to initiate electronic title and registration (ETR) transactions and issue temporary operating permits (TOPs) over Memorial Day weekend.
- Law enforcement will still have access to motor vehicle records through a statewide backup file.
- The Department of Driver Services will not be affected.