ATTORNEY GENERAL MIKE MCGRATH
STATE OF MONTANA

FOR RELEASE: June 18, 2007

CONTACT: Katherine Bushnell, (406) 444-9646; Deanna Popp, (406) 586-5560

Bozeman Driver Exam Station to Schedule Appointments

HELENA – Motor Vehicle Division administrator Dean Roberts announced this week that beginning July 2, 2007 the Bozeman driver exam station will ask its customers to schedule appointments for services.

"Bozeman is one of the busiest exam stations in the state, so it is not uncommon for customers to wait for quite awhile," Roberts said. "Last year, the Helena exam station began scheduling appointments and customer feedback has been primarily positive about the appointment scheduling process. People appreciate the service and are grateful not to wait in line."

Beginning July 2, customers in the Bozeman area should call (406) 587-0461 to schedule an appointment at the Bozeman driver exam station. Roberts said customer service representatives will also remind people exactly what they need to bring to the exam station, to ensure customers have all of the required identification documents and other paperwork.

"Sometimes we have situations where parents may take an afternoon off work to assist their child in getting licensed," Field Operations Bureau chief Kristine Thatcher said. "If they miss the information posted at the entrance, they may wait in line only to find out that they do not have all of the necessary documentation."

Thatcher said appointments will be required for Bozeman-area customers who:

• have not held a Montana driver license
• have a previous Montana driver license that has been expired for more than three months
• need to take the written and drive tests for a regular class D or commercial license, or for motorcycle endorsement. This includes all driver education students taking the test for their driver licenses.
• are requesting vehicle identification number (VIN) inspections
• wish to transfer a valid out-of-state license for a Montana license
• already have a Montana license, but want to upgrade to a commercial license or add an endorsement, such as a motorcycle or tanker endorsement

Customers who need the following services can opt to either make an appointment or stop in:

• Montana renewals
• Montana identification card
• Montana replacement driver license (including name and/or address changes)

"In addition to providing better service to each and every customer, customer scheduling should allow us to have the appropriate personnel available at our exam stations and schedule required staff training with less disruption," Roberts said.

The Bozeman driver exam station typically serves customers from Bozeman, Belgrade, Manhattan, Three Forks, Big Sky, and Livingston.