Big change to reduce wait times and better serve you!
Beginning December 5, 2022:
Boulder County Motor Vehicle in-person services will require an appointment. Additionally, annual vehicle registration / license plate renewals will need to be completed online, by mail or drop box, or at a self-service kiosk.
Here is why we are making this change:
- Our three branches – Boulder, Lafayette, and Longmont – have continuously faced long wait times (on average 1 hour +) for well over a year. This is partially due to staffing shortages, similar to what other employers are facing, and partially due to a large increase in the number of transactions residents need to complete in one visit. These wait times have persisted despite implementing numerous scheduling and process efficiencies over the last year.
- It takes about a year to fully train a motor vehicle technician in all types of transactions, so simply hiring more staff will not solve the wait time issue for the public.
- Our online appointment system is being replaced (implementation in late November) by a “smart” appointment system allowing us to book appointments not just by time/day (currently the only option) but by the service you need. This will allow us to book multiple types of appointments during the same time slot with different motor vehicle staff.
Public Benefits:
- Moving to appointments only means you can plan your visit knowing your wait time will be minimal.
- Within a few months of our December 2022 rollout, our goal is to have appointments available within the same week and to have a member of the public in and out of our office within 20 minutes in most circumstances.
- Our new appointment system will offer far more appointment options, text reminders, and mobile check-in.
Why renewals will be processed online, via the mail, by drop box or at a kiosk:
- In almost all circumstances*, vehicle registration/tag/license plate renewals can be done online, by mail or drop box, or at a self-service kiosk, freeing up valuable staff time to help residents with more complicated vehicle registration and titling needs.
- There are three self-service kiosks available in Boulder County (located in Boulder, Louisville, and Longmont). See our Renewal Kiosk page for exact locations and hours of operation.
Even more details on how we made this decision:
- An appointment-only model has been successful in several other Denver metro counties including Jefferson and Arapahoe counties. We were able to take appointment data from those counties and create a smart appointment scheduling system for Boulder County.
- It takes up to a year to fully train a new front desk motor vehicle technician. Additionally, like all other employers, we have faced staffing turnover as well as hiring challenges. Thus, simply hiring more staff (if we have the budget to do so) is unlikely to solve the wait time issue.
- To us, providing the best in public service means doing everything we can to reduce the time you need to wait in our offices.
* There are several instances where in-person renewals cannot be completed online (or by other methods) with the three most common reasons being:
- Vehicle registration/license plate tags more than 13 months expired. This is because after 13 months, you are required to get a new set of license plates.
- Insurance not showing up in our Motor Vehicle system (despite you having it) – This can also be managed without a trip to our office by submitting your proof of insurance through our Contact Us form (and a staff member will call you to complete renewal over the phone), dropping off a copy of your insurance at a drop box or mailing in a copy of your insurance with a check and your renewal notice. However, we will also have a greeter who can help determine the best option for you.
- Missing an emissions test – Check your courtesy renewal notice postcard or call our office at 303-413-7710 to see if an emissions test is required before you renew. You will be able to renew online once your emissions test is registered in our system (usually within 24 hours for gas emissions; diesel may take longer).