Our Work - Same-day service

The same-day driver’s license service at the Lakeville License Center has been extended.

The pilot project that started in October 2022 was scheduled to end in June 2023, but the state allowed the program to continue while they decide on next steps. Lakeville is one of just two locations in the state — the other being in Moorhead — to provide this service.

At Lakeville, residents can get their ID printed on the spot instead of waiting weeks for a license to be mailed.

During the first year from October 2022–September 2023, the Lakeville License Center processed 11,996 same-day standard driver’s licenses, permits and ID cards. That is more than a 54-percent increase from the 7,764 standard licenses that were processed the previous year. In the same period, REAL and enhanced IDs increased about 3.5 percent at the Lakeville License Center— jumping from 7,524 to 7,786.

Minnesota’s Driver and Vehicle Services will report on the same-day license project to state legislators in early 2024. Lawmakers will decide whether to expand statewide or discontinue the program. Until a decision is made, the service will be available in Lakeville.

The same-day licenses are only for standard driver’s licenses. REAL ID enhanced and commercial driver’s licenses aren’t included.

Even with more traffic at the Lakeville License Center, Dakota County’s other license centers remained busy. The Administration Center in Hastings saw a 14.4-percent increase in driver’s licenses processed — 8,394 to 9,601.

Despite being closed for more than three months for a remodel, the Burnsville License Center processed just 10.8-percent fewer driver’s licenses than the previous year — 17,596 to 15,698. Those numbers should bounce back this year. The remodel added an extra service desk to the license center, so more residents can be served.

For more information, including business hours and appointments, go to www.dakotacounty.us and search service & license center.