WINCHESTER, Ky. (LEX 18) — Many county clerk offices across Kentucky are experiencing long lines and wait times as a new vehicle registration system gets underway.
In early January, Kentucky replaced its longtime vehicle registration system with KAVIS, a computerized system created to streamline processes, improve customer service, and enhance efficiency.
In order to make the switch, offices across the state closed their doors for several days to allow more than 350 million records to be transferred to KAVIS.
Now that offices have reopened and implemented KAVIS, operations haven’t exactly been smooth sailing.
“Each day, we're running into different obstacles,” said Clark County Clerk Michelle Turner.
Describing logistical and technical glitches, Turner said her team has been working long hours to fulfill all of their new requests and catch up on old ones.
On a typical day, the Clark County Clerk’s Office processes 200 titles. Right now, they’re ending the day with around 120.
“We are working the best we can,” said Turner. “I'm coming in an hour and a half early every morning, staying two or three hours after, and I can't get caught up myself, and there are bigger counties than this out there.”
In modernizing a database born in the 80s, Turner anticipated the hiccups, and she believes the switch to KAVIS was necessary.
Now, she simply asks for patience and preparedness for those needing a tag renewal or vehicle registration.
Once the kinks are worked out, she’s confident operations will be improved.
“I'm hoping it's gonna make it more efficient for us and you as well,” said Turner. “Shorter wait times, and once everyone gets merged into the system, we'll be able to handle the transactions a whole lot faster.”
