June 6, 2018
By: Dwayne Page
If you need to renew or replace a driver license, the self-service Kiosk in the County Clerk’s Office is a handy source.
For the last six years, the number of DeKalb County residents taking advantage of the service has steadily increased and to date this calendar year DeKalb County ranks number two in usage compared to eleven other Tennessee counties of similar size that host a Kiosk, according to DeKalb County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss.
The statistics on the usage of the kiosk locally over the years is as follows:
2012- 26 transactions
2013- 457
2014-502
2015-1,003
2017- 1,453
2018-653 transactions to date
The kiosk was provided to the County Clerk’s Office in 2012 by the Driver Services Division of the Tennessee Department of Safety. DeKalb County was one of only a select few counties to receive a kiosk. For the first couple of years the kiosk was located down the hall from the county clerk’s office at the county complex. But in the fall of 2014 after he took office, Poss said he relocated the kiosk to inside his office and the usage doubled.
Citizens may renew or replace an existing driver’s license or state identification card and pay for the transaction with a credit or debit card at the kiosk.
The technology takes the citizen’s photograph for use on the driver license. As a security measure, the kiosk performs facial verification with the image on record. A citizen leaves the kiosk with a paper interim document for use until the secure driver’s license or ID card is received. The interim license is valid for 20 days. The secure driver’s license or ID card is mailed to the applicant’s home within five to seven business days.
The state monitors the usage of the kiosks across the state and re-locates any that aren’t being used enough. Based on the numbers locally, that should not be a problem in DeKalb County.
County Clerk Poss said he is happy to provide personal assistance to customers who want to use the kiosk or for other services they may need.
“In addition to the kiosk usage, I am doing other things to assist people more. Sometimes the machine (kiosk) doesn’t recognize people by photo. If they are not required to do a photo I can bring them into the office, sit down at my computer, pull up the same system, and do the same work for them on my computer. I am doing several of those each month. I am also doing reinstatements of driver licenses on the computer for people who need it as well as handgun permits for people who need that done on-line. That service is available at home to people who have internet but I offer anyone who wants the assistance to come into the office and I will help them with hand gun carry permit renewals. I have been told that before the end of 2018, handgun carry permits will be eligible to renew on the kiosk as well as on-line,” added County Clerk Poss.