No residence, no service

WALLACE – Out of county drivers, be warned- licensing services will no longer be available to you starting next month.

The Shoshone County Sheriff's Office reported on Wednesday that licensing services will only be offered to Shoshone County residents starting Dec. 1. This restriction is set to remain in effect until further notice, but may last for approximately two months.

SCSO explained that the licensing department, located inside the Sheriff's Office, has become overwhelmed from the influx of customers from neighboring counties. This influx has caused extended wait times for customers- some lasting up to 60 days or more.

"We opened up a few months ago and we just got overran with patrons from several different counties," Sheriff Mike Gunderson said. "The fact that we have only one computer and one staff member, we just don't have the ability to accommodate that rash of people."

Combine the limited staffing with other factors, such as other counties completely closing DMV services and having to work around COVID-19 restrictions, it creates a situation that simply can't be handled quickly.

Sheriff Gunderson added that he has received several complaints from locals saying that they haven't had an opportunity to get what they need done due to the long waiting lines.

For the time being, access to licensing services will be on a first-come, first-serve basis with no appointment required. Before services are rendered, customers will be required to provide an Idaho driver's license, other state-issued identification, or proof of residency.

To maintain social distancing standards, SCSOs front lobby will continue to have restricted access- serving only one driver's license customer at a time. Customers are required to wear a face covering inside SCSO and in the courthouse.

Since Gov. Brad Little implemented a modified version of Stage 2 in his Idaho Rebounds plan, SCSO and the Shoshone County Government have been operating under tight pandemic regulations.

Under the emergency action plan, SCSO has been largely closed to the public and suspended in-person services such as driver’s licensing (limit one person inside at a time), notaries public, and jail visitation.

Due to state mandate, licensing services in Idaho are run through county Sheriff's Offices, not the standard DMV office. The licensing desk inside SCSO handles I.D. related concerns, such as driver's licensing, sex offender registration, concealed weapon permits, and STAR card registration.

The DMV office located in the basement of the Shoshone County courthouse remains open to all drivers, both local and not, but is operating via a drop box only. This office handles registration concerns, such as license plates and vehicle tabs.

The Idaho Transportation Department has put an extension on expiring vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses. Non-commercial vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses that expire between September and December, 2020 have until January 31, 2021 to renew.

Gunderson is hopeful that this local-only policy will reduce the number of people that are impacted by waiting for several hours to get in.

"We will eventually open it back up to everyone, but for now, we're going to go with Shoshone County residents only."

The neighboring counties of Benewah, Bonner, and Boundary have all implemented similar restrictions on out-of-county customers.