The Idaho Division of Motor Vehicles team is working all hours to refine the state’s new vehicle registration and titling computer system. Customers at county DMV offices are currently experiencing extended wait times. Please remember, many DMV services are available ONLINE at dmv.idaho.gov. We encourage you to skip the line and renew online 24/7.
In an effort to reduce wait times, the Idaho Transportation Department is providing an extension on expiring vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses. Non-commercial vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses that expire between September and December 2020 now have until January 31, 2021 to renew.
During the Columbus Day weekend (Oct. 10-12), the Idaho DMV transitioned the state’s vehicle registration and titling system from a 1980s mainframe to the new GEM system. Eight million DMV records were integrated into a “one person, one record” system. This means each Idaho driver will have one record with both their driver’s license and vehicle registration/title information linked.
“We apologize for any longer than normal wait times at your county DMV office,” said DMV Administrator Alberto Gonzalez. “Upgrading from a 40-year-old computer system is a big project, and merging millions of records is a challenging process. The GEM system is not yet perfect, as we continue to clean years of data, but it is improving every day.”
The Idaho DMV asks customers to please have patience with county staff until the system is operating more smoothly. For more information and resources visit dmv.idaho.gov.