Stephens County Tax Office will suspend services temporarily to update DRIVES system

Stephens County in partnership with the Georgia Department of Revenue will begin upgrading its Georgia Drives Motor Vehicle System at the end of the month.

According to Stephens County Tax Commissioner Dene Hicks, this upgrade will keep the county up to date with the latest technology advances and will ensure they have access to the most recent enhancements and features of the software, improving efficiency and reducing operational costs.

She says implementation of the upgrade will require the vehicle registrations and titling services, including e-services, to be unavailable starting Thursday, December 30 at 7 p.m. through Monday, January 3, 2022.

During the upgrades, the County Tag Offices and the Georgia Department of Revenue Motor Vehicle Division will not be able to process transactions.

All online motor vehicle related services, including online tag renewal services, will be unavailable.

Hicks recommends vehicle owners with expiration dates in late December and early January should renew prior to December 30, to avoid delays.

Hicks says customers and dealers seeking to conduct any title transactions should complete their business at a county tag office prior to Thursday, December 30, at 5:00 p.m.

Dealers will be able to initiate electronic title and registration transactions and issue emergency temporary operating permits over New Year’s weekend.

Law enforcement will still have access to motor vehicle records.

Hicks says during the implementation period, the Stephens County Tag Office will be open but will not be able to process motor vehicle transactions.

Again, beginning Thursday, December 30 at 7 p.m. through Monday, January 3, 2022, the Stephens County Tag Office will not be able to process motor vehicle transactions in-person or online.

Additionally, the Stephens County Tax Commissioner’s Office will be closed on Friday, December 31, in observance of the New Year’s Day holiday.

For questions regarding this change, contact Hicks by calling 706-886-4753.