Department of Safety and Homeland Security Making Enhancements In Driver Services Division

NASHVILLE – The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security has made notable improvements within the Driver Services Division in recent months in an effort to better serve the citizens of Tennessee.  The Driver Services Division is continuously working to provide customers with the most efficient service possible to decrease wait times, increase customer satisfaction and streamline processes.

The Department today issued a request for information (RFI) for a new credential production and issuance solution to improve customer service.  The goal of this request is to secure a vendor that will place Tennessee at the forefront of driver licenses issuance, using the most cutting-edge technology available on the market.  Existing technology is outdated and consists of multiple, incompatible systems causing maintenance and software to be expensive to maintain.  The preferred solution will streamline the systems into one while complying with state and federal statutes.  To view the RFI, click here.

Improvements put in place in recent months by the Division include:

• Added 30 additional part-time employees across the state to assist with increased volume at Driver Services Centers;

• Added 55 full-time new employees at Centers with the largest customer volume including Hickory Hollow, Hart Lane, Bonny Oaks, Clarksville, Murfreesboro, Summer Avenue, Shelby Drive, Gallatin, Franklin and Lebanon;

• Established new and expanded existing partnerships with County Clerks to issue REAL IDs and is pursuing a wider expansion of this partnership;

• Added 150 new iPads across the state to expedite payment transactions;

• Added signage and Navigators at high volume stations to assist, direct and pre-vet documents to reduce confusion;

• Submitted budget request for 80 new positions and four new express Driver Services Centers to be located in highest volume areas;

• Launched a mobile application (TN Driver Services) to better serve Tennesseans by making certain transactions available via the application as opposed to visiting a Driver Services Center in person for that service;

• Dispatched the Department’s two refurbished mobile trucks to accommodate needs. The mobile trucks are full-service and capable of issuing REAL IDs.

Though these efforts have improved outcomes at Centers across the state, the Department is continuing to optimize even more and is pursuing:

• Enabling customers to schedule appointments and view estimated wait times online;

• Piloting extended Driver Services Center hours at select centers;

• Establishing third-party and public partnerships with entities to increase service options;

• Utilizing new technology that will expedite services at the Centers and allow citizens to conduct their business outside of a Driver Services Center;

• Implementing best practices from other states such as performing Online Learners Permit testing similar to Arizona and allowing an Optometrist to submit a vision test electronically as in New York.

The Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security’s (www.TN.gov/safety) mission is to serve, secure, and protect the people of Tennessee.

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