It's Heavy Traffic For Roseville License Center

The threat of a state government shutdown has resulted in a big spike in daily business for the Roseville License Center.

“We are about 75 percent busier than normal,” Dorothy Wrzos, center supervisor, said Monday afternoon. 

In fact, business has increased steadily increased during the past two weeks as talk of a state government shutdown has escalated, Wrzos said.

The Roseville License Center processes, among other things, driver’s license renewals, car titles, boat licenses and motor vehicle license tab renewals.

By mid-afternoon Monday, the Roseville office had done close to 200 license tab renewals and about 350 driver license renewals, Wrzos said.

Steve Clovning, of New Brighton, said the threat of the state shutdown prompted him to renew his driver’s license tabs and driver’s license now. His motor vehicle tabs are due for renewal in July and his driver’s license in August.

“I decided last week I wanted to do it now instead of later," he said.

Mellisa Weinert, of Roseville, was of a similar mind in getting a boat license. “I needed to get it done,” she said. “But the imminent threat of the shutdown spurred me on to get it done now.”

Even if the state shuts down, the Roseville License Center has vowed to stay open, noting its staff ordered extra supplies to handle business.  City officials have estimated they may be able to keep the Center open up to a month if a state shutdown were to drag on that long. 

Roseville’s License Center serves the public as a Minnesota Department of Public Safety Deputy. That means the Center can update state motor vehicle records on, for example, license tab renewals even if a shutdown prevents the state from processing payments on tabs and other licenses, according to Roseville officials.

Roseville officials said their License Center is the second busiest in the state. In 2010, the Center handled 63,000 motor vehicle tab renewals and 39,000 long-form transactions such as car titles, according to Brenda Davitt, Roseville assistant finance director.