Politics & Government
Apple Valley License Bureau Slower Since Shutdown, Despite Offering Many Services
The bureau, which is privately owned, offers all its usual services during the shutdown except licensing for fishing, hunting, ATVs, boats and snowmobile.
On Thursday afternoon, a customer walked in to the looking a bit confused.
As the man told General Manager Rob Veldhuis that he thought the bureau would be closed because of the state government shutdown, Veldhuis explained that one-third of the license bureaus in Minnesota—like Apple Valley's—are privately owned, and that his branch definitely was open.
"I think people are under the impression that we're closed," Veldhuis said Thursday. An influx of customers came in last week, he said, when many likely thought it was their last chance to take care of their business before a shutdown.
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"We've been slower this week," he said.
But the bureau is able to offer almost all the vehicle services it did before the shutdown, Veldhuis said, and there are 174 deputy registrars in the state, all providing many of the same services. Many centers are operated by cities or counties, especially in the metro area, he said.
Find out what's happening in Apple Valley-Rosemountwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Driver examinations are discontinued because they are a state service, but the Apple Valley bureau is not a driver examination location.
The only regular business the license bureau can't conduct are things controlled by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources—licenses for fishing, hunting, ATVs, boats and snowmobiles, Veldhuis said.
But the fulfillment of services still could be delayed because the state is not processing forms during the shutdown; while people can go to the license bureau to transfer a vehicle title, for example, the bureau has to hold all the forms until state government services resume, Veldhuis said. Checks, however, are deposited locally.
Because online and mail renewal services have been shut down as well, the state actually has directed people to the license bureaus, Veldhuis said.
Veldhuis said he prepared before the shutdown and has enough license plate tabs to last until November or December.
"We have plenty of supply," he said—going to a physical location "might be the only way you can get your tabs for awhile."
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