OLYMPIA—Summer is always a busy time of year in state driver licensing offices and legislatively-mandated temporary layoff days are driving customer wait times up even more. Driver licensing offices across the state serve about 33,000 customers each day, and data shows 2,000 of them didn’t need to wait in line.

 
“Many customers who need to take care of routine transactions like driver license renewals, getting a copy of a driving record, or getting a replacement license can avoid our offices altogether by taking care of their transactions online,” Director Liz Luce said. “Summer is always busy for us because people are moving and teens are getting permits and new licenses, and temporary layoff days are making many offices unusually busy this year.”

Every day, more than 2,000 customers who buy a copy of their driving record, or renew or replace their driver license or ID card, could have done it online. By eliminating these transactions from licensing offices, customers that must visit an office for more complex transactions can be helped faster.

The department encourages customers to check the DOL website to see if they can complete their transaction online. If you must go to a licensing office, check out the wait times for a particular office online. You may be able to avoid waiting in line by driving to another office.