BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — If you're trying to call the DMV, chances are you'll get a pre-recorded message or have trouble getting someone on the phone.
Prior to this past October, the average wait time for an appointment at the DMV was around 7 minutes and the average transaction time was around 5 minutes, according to the Ada County Assessor.
However, today, the average transaction time is around 11 minutes and the wait time is around 10 OR 20 times longer. Why is it taking so long?
"One thing that we've been doing is trying to get more people on the lines, we've cut back on people answering phones," said Robert McQuade, Ada County Assessor. "Our phone system is just capable of taking 20 phone calls at a time. Beyond that, they'll say the system is not available."
The Idaho Department of Transportation recently rolled out its new GEM software in October, a system upgrade that was supposed to make things easier.
However, McQuade of Ada County says many of the difficulties are directly related to the GEM software.
Jillian Garrigues of the Idaho Department of Transportation explains why.
"And now what we're seeing that's a big part of the issue is that there are 8 million records, there are a lot of errors and discrepancies from 40 years worth of data," Garrigues said."What's happening now and are renewing their registration...it might not be accurate...and now we're trying to fix the problem...in the long run it'll be better for Idaho."
And for those who see the long lines are wondering if Idaho's increasing population growth is affecting wait times, McQuade says it does contribute but is not the main factor.
He says the main reason for long lines has to do with COVID-19, including employee absences from the sickness and social distancing protocol.
"We can only have around 10 people in the building at a time. So the rest have to wait outside, we're working on accomodating those people."
If you need to get your vehicle registered or your driver's license renewed, Ada County DMV says the best solution is to do your business online or by mail. He says inquiries are processed quicker that way.
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