July 6, 2021
By: Dwayne Page
The Self-Service Kiosk in the DeKalb County Clerk’s Office is a popular service for conducting driver license business and the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has taken notice of it.
“I would like to thank you and your staff for continuing to host the Department’s Self-Service Kiosk”, said Michael Hogan in a letter to County Clerk James L. (Jimmy) Poss last week. Hogan is Director of Services for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.
“For the citizens of DeKalb County, the kiosk is a valuable resource for conducting driver license business in the absence of a full-service center”, wrote Hogan.
“Since 2012, when the kiosk was installed, the usage rates have continued to increase each year. For the past two years, the DeKalb County self-service kiosk has ranked number one in the number of people using the kiosk with a county population of less than 30,000”.
“As the department continues to increase the services allowed on the kiosk, you should expect to see the usage rate continue to increase, which means less travel time for the citizens of DeKalb County needing to conduct driver license business,” Hogan continued.
“The following is a breakdown of the county’s activity for the past five years. As you can see, the usage rate continued to climb, the exception was 2020, due to COVID 19, which decreased all activity in the Driver Services Division”.
Calendar Year 2017: Kiosk Usage Rate- 2,876
Calendar Year 2018: Kiosk Usage Rate- 3,495
Calendar Year 2019: Kiosk Usage Rate- 3,340
Calendar Year 2020: Kiosk Usage Rate-2,342
Calendar Year 2021: Kiosk Usage Rate- 376 from January 1 to May 1.
The statistics on the usage of the kiosk from 2012 to 2015 were as follows:
2012- 26 transactions
2013- 457
2014-502
2015-1,003
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 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.
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.