Customer Service-Oriented License, Tag Division Given Green Light

OKLAHOMA CITY – Legislation creating a customer service-focused division specializing in excellent government service delivery and modernized process has become law.

House Bill 3419 would combine the state’s motor vehicle tag and driver license and identification services into one division, Service Oklahoma, operated by OMES.

Rep. Dell Kerbs, R-Shawnee, and Sen. Chuck Hall, R-Perry, led a bipartisan, bicameral legislative working group comprised of more than a dozen legislators, representatives of tag agencies, the Oklahoma Tag Commission (OTC), the Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) and the Office of Management of Enterprise Services (OMES). The group met for 18 months to determine the best course of action to provide Oklahomans with a more efficient system to receive their driver’s licenses and motor vehicle services.

“When we brought everyone to the table and started looking at this for the first time in more than 25 years, we realized the system needed serious changes to better serve Oklahomans and give our hardworking tag agencies the support that’s long overdue at the state level,” Kerbs said. “Once it’s fully implemented, Service Oklahoma will be a one stop shop for our citizens to get their licenses and get their tags with ease.”

Kerbs said the timeline for this process would take months. Under HB3419, driver’s license services will be onboarded to Service Oklahoma on Nov. 1 and motor vehicle services will be onboarded on Jan. 1, 2023.

“We didn’t get to this point overnight, and we won’t solve it overnight,” Kerbs said. “But as this system begins to roll out, Oklahomans will start to see vast improvement in the delivery in these services.”

Hall carried HB3419 in the Senate.

“The pandemic, software issues, and other challenges implementing the issuance of REAL IDs underscored the need to modernize and standardize how we deliver services to our citizens. We worked closely with all the stakeholders to develop Service Oklahoma,” Hall said. “Whether you live in a metropolitan area or a rural community, you’re going to receive the same high level of customer service, with standardized services and hours of operation. Service Oklahoma is a huge step forward for people of Oklahoma.”

The bill passed with an emergency clause so the work to transfer responsibilities could begin immediately.