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If you live on Suffolk County’s North Shore, your future DMV visit is going to get a bit harder.
That’s because the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles announced Thursday its plans to close the Port Jefferson Station office later this month.
The DMV, in a statement, said it is shutting down its operation at 1055 Route 112 on Aug. 25 as part of a consolidation effort. The county’s other offices — Medford, Hauppauge, Dix Hills, and Riverhead — will absorb the operations, the release said. No DMV staff was let go as part of this restructuring.
“One of the foundational goals of our transformation effort is to change how we operate and to work more effectively in a fiscally responsible manner,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “All decisions about our office locations are made with our customers and employees top of mind, and through careful consideration and analysis of the facts and data.”
Over the last two years, the expansion of services online helped prompt this move, said Schroeder. There are currently 70 transactions and services available online, such as renewing your license, replacing a registration, changing your address, and more. Click here to see them all.
Why choose the Port Jefferson Station office to close? The choice, the DMV said, was made based on three measures: lack of public transportation, plus lower transaction volumes, and impact on customers and DMV staff.
“We see an opportunity to shift our workforce to the other locations in Suffolk County to maximize the capacity in those offices and ultimately to serve our customers better and faster,” said Schroeder.
Top: Exterior view of the DMV office in Port Jefferson Station that is set to close Aug. 25. (Credit: Google Maps)
