Niagara County DMV to host Saturday event for driver's license renewals

Outside drop boxes now in place in North Tonawanda, Niagara Falls – for transactions, as well

Niagara County Clerk Joseph A. Jastrzemski on Friday announced the Niagara County Department of Motor Vehicles will hold special office hours on Saturday, Sept. 19, for driver’s licenses renewals. No appointment is necessary.

“Our Saturday event last month for commercial driver’s licenses was a huge success and we recognize the backlog for regular driver’s license renewals is even greater, with somewhere around 8,000 Niagara County residents already overdue,” Jastrzemski said. “Although Gov. Cuomo issued an executive order back in March extending expiration dates on driver’s licenses indefinitely, we know many people want to just get their renewal done, so they are not scrambling if and when the governor rescinds that order.”

Jastrzemski said the events will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the Lockport DMV, 111 Main St., and the North Tonawanda DMV, 500 Wheatfield St. One must be in line no later than 12:30 p.m.

More than a dozen DMV staffers will be on hand to process the paperwork.

Jastrzemski reiterated this is for license transactions only, such a renewals, switching to an enhanced license or Real ID, upgrading to commercial driver’s licenses and so on. Residents must bring original documentation, not copies, and are strongly encouraged to visit https://dmv.ny.gov/driver-license for a complete list of acceptable forms of Identification. Residents should also bring their own pen.

In addition, Jastrzemski also announced his office has installed red drop boxes outside of the DMV locations in Niagara Falls and North Tonawanda to help process transactions more quickly for the public without the need to schedule an appointment. The Lockport location already has a drop box slot.

“New York state is still limiting our office operations because of the pandemic, necessitating people to schedule an appointment; and we know getting that appointment is not easy,” Jastrzemski said. “Since many of the transactions are very routine, we are trying to expand the use of the drop box system, which has worked well.”

Jastrzemski said the drop boxes can be used for things like turning in plates, registering a vehicle and making amendments to one’s pistol permit. With the recent issues related to postal service delivery, his office said the boxes are the quickest, most efficient way to process your transaction.

“If people drop off their paperwork, our goal is to process the transaction in 48 hours or less and give you the option to come back to our office and pick up your completed transactions without having to wait in line,” Jastrzemski said. “It is fast, efficient and safe.”

Instructions for registration of a vehicle utilizing the drop box can be found by visiting https://www.niagaracounty.com/Departments/Motor-Vehicles-Department. Instructions for amendments to pistol permits can be found at https://www.niagaracounty.com/Departments/Pistol-Permit-Office.

Niagara County Clerk Joseph Jastrzemski with Deputy Clerk Dan Quinn in front of the newly installed drop box at the Niagara Falls DMV.