With yesterday’s announcement that the State of
Minnesota was shutting down local license bureaus statewide after Governor Tim
Walz enacted a Shelter in Place stay at home Executive Order that takes effect
shortly before midnight tonight, the opportunity to renew vehicle tabs has a
very short window.
Becky Aanerud of the Wright County License Bureau said
that the local deadline will be at 3 p.m. today (March 27). If tabs, payment checks,
insurance information and a contact phone number are provided in the drop box,
those received today will be processed and mailed to those who bring them by
the Wright County Government Center prior to 3 p.m. The drop box is located in
the left corner of the front entrance to the Government Center, 10 2nd St. SW, Buffalo.
Today a sign will be posted at the drop box that
reads:
“This drop box will be available to process tabs for your
vehicle until 3 p.m. on Friday, March 27. Any tab renewal left after that time
will be processed when the Department of Public Safety re-opens (tentative re-open
date for DVS is 4/10/2020). After 3 p.m. 3/27/2020, this drop box will be
emptied every business day and the documents will be held in a secure area
until we are able to process them.”
It is unclear what direction law enforcement will be
given as to dealing with individuals who get pulled over with expired tabs.
There is a bill in the State Legislature that proposes that any drivers license
or license plate/tabs that expire at the end of March will be given a grace
period due to the inability for people to get the licenses or tabs updated before
the public counter closures that took place at most license bureaus earlier
this month. However, those who can make it to the Government Center before 3
p.m. to renew their tabs can avoid that potential penalty.