With the Polk County Government Center phasing in reopening to the public, some questions still remain over how to use the License Center. Appointments are being taken for driver’s licenses and title work but renewals, including tabs, should use the dropbox said Director of Property Records Michelle Cote. “Renewals and registrations, we are still utilizing our dropbox which is actually very efficient,” said Cote. “So, if you drop your renewals in the dropbox ensuring that you have your insurance information and the correct payment. And we process them the same or next-day depending on what time they go in the mail and you have them within two or three days.
The License Center is only open by appointment, scheduled online, for licenses and title work explains Cote. “We are open to the public in a modified form,” said Cote. “In order for us to control how many people we have within the license, we are utilizing an appointment-based system for driver’s licenses and title transfers. We’re also doing agricultural truck quartering that way as well. There is a link on the main page of our website that takes you to our scheduling software. You can pick whatever service you need, and it will show you the available appointments. You click on that and it will schedule you an appointment. We are asking that when people arrive, they text into the number in the confirmation email and then we escort them to a different door. We are trying to limit some of the traffic that is coming in through the main door.”
Cote said the appointments are being done to ensure social distancing by limiting the number of people in the license center to avoid lines and the main door is being staffed as well to provide masks for those who want them. “This is the only way we can control how many people are in the license center,” said Cote. “We do have someone stationed just inside the main doors. We are not doing any specific health screenings. We do have masks available if anybody wants to utilize one. But if someone says – hey I’m here to renew my tabs – we’ll direct them right around to the dropbox.”
Appointments are the only way to get into the License Center, and those are being exclusively managed online said, Cote. “That is correct,” said Cote. “There is a link on the main page of our website that will take them right to the scheduling software. Or if they have questions they can email licensecenter@co.polk.mn.us and we’ll give them the direct link to the software. Also, in the software, it will tell them the things they need to bring. So, if they are going to apply for an enhanced driver’s license it’s going to list out the details that they need to bring with.”
Early during the COVID-19 pandemic, officers were giving a grace period for expired tabs. Polk County Chief Deputy Mike Norland said that at this point officers aren’t necessarily pulling people over for expired tabs but because ways to get tabs have become available if tabs are expired people need to be able to show they’re trying to get them. “As far as I know we haven’t been pulling people over for expired tabs,” said Norland. “Not to say that we won’t start here at some point. I know things were closed down, but I think everybody can do it online too. Obviously, if we ask them a question about tabs, they have to show they at least tried to get their tabs. If they purchased them and it’s a delay getting them, they have to at least have something showing they purchased them.”