A statewide upgrade to DRIVES (Driver Record and Integrated Vehicle Enterprise System) software used by Georgia’s tag/title and driver’s license offices will put a temporary hold on several motor vehicle-related services Jan. 13-18.
During that time, vehicle tags and titles will not be available from the Gilmer Tax Commissioner’s Office, confirmed Tax Commissioner Becky Marshall. All DRIVES online services and self-service kiosks will also be down during this time.
“We’re not going to be able to do anything having to do with motor vehicles,” Marshall said.
Department of Driver Services (DDS) customers won’t be able to visit locations or utilize the DDS website and mobile app during the upgrade period.
The tax commissioner’s office located inside the Gilmer County Courthouse will not be closed for business during this time, confirmed Marshall. Property taxes can still be paid during the upgrade period, she noted.
“We’re on two different databases, one for property taxes and one for motor vehicles,” Marshall said.
The DRIVES program has been used by Georgia’s tag offices since May 2019. According to the state DDS, the January upgrade will modernize both the current DDS driver’s license system and Department of Revenue tag/title system.
Completing a multi-year program update, the new system will offer more self-service options, as well as enhanced data integrity and security features to help deter fraud and identity theft, also according to Georgia DDS.
Once the update is finished, DDS customers will need to re-establish their existing online accounts.
The state’s tag and driver’s license offices are both encouraging customers with vehicle registrations that expire in January 2021 to act early by completing their renewals before Jan. 13.
Both agencies expect to again be fully operational on Tuesday, Jan. 19.