2 Louisville DMVs, including downtown office, to close while clerk's office resolves "backlog"

Two Louisville-area motor vehicle branches will close to the public July 8-19 while employees work to reduce a "significant backlog" the county clerk's office said is caused by glitches in the state's new motor vehicle registration system.

Customers who normally visit the Downtown (200 S. 5th St., Suite 228S) and West (228 Amy Avenue) branches will not be able to complete services in person during the closure period.

"(The decision to close offices) was not a decision made lightly, but we feel this is the best way to handle the KAVIS catastrophe," Jefferson County Clerk Bobbie Holsclaw said in a statement Monday. "Our customers are used to a 24-48 hour turnaround, but now we're seeing dealerships wait up to a month because there are so many new problems with KAVIS."

Some buyers are waiting longer than usual to receive their new vehicle's title and license plate from the state, a news release from the Jefferson County Clerk's Office stated. The office previously voiced issues with the new KAVIS system shortly after it was rolled out in January when officials said errors made by the computer software inconvenienced both customers and clerk's office staffers.

The clerk's office said Jefferson County residents in need of motor vehicle services from the Downtown and West branches can submit requests online, by phone, or by mail during the 11-day closure period. Customers can also visit other Jefferson County branches.

Vehicle inspections from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and property tax drop-offs will also not be available at the West Branch. Those in need of an inspection should go to 810 W. Market St., open from 8 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. Monday through Friday. Drop-offs can be completed at other Jefferson County motor vehicle branches, the clerk's office said in a statement.

After July 19, the Downtown Branch will reopen on limited hours, from 8:30 to noon Monday through Friday, in order for workers to complete additional backlog requests the rest of the work day, the clerk's office said in a statement. The clerk's office did not say how long the Downtown Branch would operate on limited hours.

Holsclaw said the "sheer volume of backlog" means employees at the Downtown and West branches will likely have to work overtime and weekend hours to resolve it.

Kentucky Transportation Cabinet officials were aware of initial KAVIS issues and had even sent county clerk's offices a three-page document with answers to over 40 problems that had come up during the system's first month of use, The Courier Journal reported in February.

Speaking to Kentucky legislators at a hearing Jan. 31, Transportation Secretary Jim Gray said the state's previous vehicle registration system, which operated for 46 years, was difficult to maintain because of its age and because it was difficult to track down records tied to a specific owner, since it could not sort information by owner. The new KAVIS system can sort vehicle information by owner, thus making it more user-friendly, Gray said.