Officials: Facelift for Bethpage DMV part of wider plan

The state Department of Motor Vehicles reopened its Bethpage district office on Tuesday following an “extensive renovation,” part of an ongoing effort to modernize the agency's services, officials said.

The office renovation included what the DMV described in a news release as “improvements to seating and counters, increased open space, the addition of an information screen and a new permit testing area.”

The changes create a more “effective flow for customers visiting the office,” the DMV said.

The Hempstead Turnpike bureau will be open Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., according to the state agency.

Officials, including DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder, were on hand Tuesday to cut the ribbon on the renovated space.

It's part of a DMV plan to modernize its services and make them easier for customers to use, which could cut down on repeat visits to an office, and long delays once there.

The days of those delays, often three-hour waits at a DMV office — long the butt of jokes and source of groans — are over, Schroeder said. Thanks to an online appointment and queuing system, and the availability of online transactions, many people can get in and out in as little 15 minutes, he said. The Bethpage location also now offers a pair of DMV Now kiosks, which according to the agency, provide many of the same services offered on the department website.

State officials are looking to “shatter the perception” of long waits, Schroeder said.

“We are excited about the changes we are making and look forward to bringing you better, faster and more responsive service in the future,” he said.

In addition to physical changes to DMV offices, the agency is making improvements to its website, putting more transactions online, expanding access to DMV services in communities, and launching new digital services, including a digital prescreen process for customers applying for a REAL ID or Enhanced ID.

“These new state-of-the-art services and streamlined processes to make office visits fast and efficient are overdue — and very welcomed,” State Sen. Kevin Thomas (D-Levittown) said in a news release. “Working to directly address constituent concerns is what good government looks like.”

With Barry Sloan

By Vera Chinese

vera.chinese@newsday.com@VeraChinese

Vera Chinese covers Suffolk County government and politics. She joined Newsday in 2017 after working as an editor for the East End lifestyle publication northforker and a general assignment reporter for the New York Daily News.