Registering a motor vehicle in South Dakota will undergo a major change in mid-February.
The state instituted the SDCars system in 2008 which allowed drivers to keep their plates and even register vehicles at kiosks located throughout the state. In a couple of weeks the state will switch to the 605Drive program for managing vehicle records.
To prepare for the transition, all motor vehicle registrations will be halted beginning at 5 p.m Thursday, Feb. 13 and then resume on Tuesday, Feb. 18. The suspension will include motor vehicle renewals, registrations and title transfers.
Online services and self-service terminal transactions will be unavailable from 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 7 until Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Residents needing motor vehicle transactions in January, February and March are strongly encouraged to complete them as early as possible to avoid delays. The Codington County Treasurer’s Office will remain open during this period to provide other services as usual.
Carol Maloney, Codington County treasurer, said her staff is looking forward to implementing the new 605Driver system. During her visit with county commissioners at their Jan. 28 meeting, Maloney said the new system, in use by a few other states, can process transactions most more quickly than the SDCars software.
“With anything new there will be a learning curve and a few bumps along the way,” Maloney said. “We hope the public can be patient while we go through this transition and understand that the temporary suspension of services is necessary to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.”
J.T. Fey is a freelance reporter contributing stories to the Watertown Current.