ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE MCGRATH
STATE OF MONTANA
FOR RELEASE: August 16, 2006
CONTACT: Lynn Solomon, 444-0582 or Judy Beck, 444-5774
Motor Vehicle Division to Start Scheduling Appointments at Townsend Office
HELENA – Motor Vehicle Division administrator Dean Roberts said today that the division will start scheduling appointments for services at the Townsend exam station. The Townsend station is open one day a month – the first Thursday of the month – and beginning September 7, appointments will be required for all services.
"We recently started a pilot project scheduling appointments at the Helena exam station and we're very pleased with the results," Roberts said. "We think switching to specific scheduled appointments at the Townsend station will help us better serve our Townsend-area customers."
Roberts added that the exam station will no longer be able to accommodate walk-in customers.
He said customers should call ahead – 443-3680 – to schedule appointments. When they do, Roberts said that the scheduler also will remind people exactly what they need to bring, reducing the number of customers who leave frustrated because they didn't have all of the required identification documents and other paperwork.
Roberts said appointments will be required for all types of services, including:
- getting a new Montana driver license and renewing old ones
- getting a Montana identification card
- getting a replacement Montana driver license (including name and/or address changes)
- taking written and drive tests for a regular class D or commercial license, or for a motorcycle endorsement. This includes all driver education students taking the test for their driver licenses.
- getting vehicle identification number (VIN) inspections
- transferring a valid out-of-state license for a Montana license
- upgrading an existing Montana license to a commercial license or adding an endorsement, such as a motorcycle or tanker endorsement
The Helena pilot project began in late June, and Roberts said the majority of customers appreciate the change.
"We've surveyed people at the Helena exam station and more than 90 percent said they appreciated the scheduling and would make an appointment again," he said.
The scheduling service at the Townsend station is an extension of the Helena pilot project. All other exam stations statewide will continue to operate as they have in the past.