Jessica Lavery starts her mornings, sometimes as early as 6 a.m., deciding if she needs to close one of the offices she manages or shift her staff to another location.
Lavery manages the Oregon Department of Transportation’s Northwest region of Oregon’s Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division, which has offices across the Willamette Valley and two along the coast. On May 1, she and other agency leaders decided to close the Albany office for the day after each of the four staff members were unavailable. Two called in sick while the others had already been approved for time off, she said.
Decisions like hers are routine for DMV managers grappling with severe staffing shortages caused by outdated and limited positions within the agency, as well as a spike in employee departures following a budget crisis within the agency.
Albany’s office closure marked the 34th full day that DMV offices have had to close across Oregon since Jan. 1, with smaller offices such as Madras, Prineville or Newport regularly closing because of similar staffing issues. Last year, there were 92 full-day closures across Oregon because of staffing issues, according to agency spokesperson Chris Crabb.
The Oregon DMV employs a total of 768 employees in 58 offices across the state. Its bigger offices are mostly located within the Portland metro region and typically have more than seven counter spaces.
Since late June 2025, 64 DMV employees have left their positions after state lawmakers failed to pass a bill that would have updated the Oregon Department of Transportation’s funding structure for operations and maintenance. The budget uncertainty, combined with nearly 500 ODOT workers receiving layoff notices and a hiring freeze that lasted until March, accelerated employee departures, Crabb said. Lawmakers passed a short-term funding fix this spring and avoided layoffs by eliminating vacant positions, but many transportation department workers quit or retired early because of uncertainty.
Oregon DMV offices are in the process of hiring 35 positions, but that process takes time, Crabb said.
And even if all vacancies were filled, there still wouldn’t be enough employees to cover the demand for services, Crabb said, because the state has employed roughly the same number of people at DMV offices over the last 25 years despite the state’s population growing by more than 840,000 people in the same timeframe.
Oregon voters this month will have a say on whether to pass a law that would raise revenue for maintenance and operations within the Oregon Department of Transportation. Measure 120, placed on the ballot for the May 19 primary, proposes raising the gas tax by six cents, doubling the payroll tax from 0.1% of a paycheck to 0.2% of a paycheck until 2028, and raising title fees and most vehicle registration fees.
A balancing act
Lavery said she understands the community members who are frustrated by DMV office closures, particularly those living in rural areas.
“Gas is expensive, so then they have to drive however many miles to go to another DMV,” she said. “I know for the community it feels really frustrating and feels like they’re being left out, but that just isn’t the case. It’s a real balancing act.”
The resulting staff shortages means DMV managers regularly ask staff to commute to a different location to help severely short-staffed offices, which isn’t always efficient.
For instance, a staff member commuting from the Albany or Salem office to help in Newport, has to drive, work and take lunch and other breaks all within an eight-hour window.
“In reality, they’re really only helping for four to five hours,” said Mia Ravell, the Oregon DMV customer service manager for South Salem and Albany.
The alternative of doing nothing, however, would mean more DMV office closures.
“Frequently there is no amount of staff shifting that can avoid closures entirely,” Crabb said. “We have some offices with only three, two or even one full-time staff member. We try to limit the impact on any one community, but due to staffing constraints in each geographic region, sometimes we must close one office more than others.”
Alternative ways to get DMV services
There are several ways Oregonians can get DMV services without having to go to an office in person.
The Oregon DMV last year launched 10 Fred Meyer kiosks, mostly around the Portland metro region, that let people renew their vehicle registration, print a copy of their vehicle registration and replace vehicle registration cards and stickers.
Oregonians can also go to the agency’s online platform, known as “DMV2U,” to take knowledge tests, renew a license or vehicle registration, schedule appointments, update an address, file collision reports or report vehicle sales. The agency also offers informational Youtube videos explaining how to use the online platform.
“These resources are something the Oregon DMV is really trying to pour into just because we realize and understand there needs to be different avenues to assist the communities and Oregonians,” Ravell said.
Oregon Capital Chronicle
Oregon Capital Chronicle is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity. Oregon Capital Chronicle maintains editorial independence. Contact Editor Julia Shumway for questions: info@oregoncapitalchronicle.com.
