photo by: Chris Conde/Journal-World

The Douglas County Courthouse is pictured Thursday, Dec. 22, 2022.

Beginning next month, Douglas County residents no longer will be able to pay their vehicle tags or handle other such tax matters at the historic Douglas County Courthouse in downtown Lawrence.

Instead, residents in the Lawrence area will need to go to the Douglas County Treasurer’s Office on Sixth Street if they want to make such payments in person. The last day that the courthouse location will be open is Feb. 13.

Douglas County Treasurer Adam Rains announced on Monday that he had decided to move all of the treasurer’s “public-facing” services from the Douglas County Courthouse at 11th and Massachusetts streets to the relatively new treasurer’s office location at 2601 W. Sixth St. An office in Baldwin City will remain open one week per month — the second week of the month — to accept payments and conduct other business.

“Centralizing our operations is a strategic step toward improving how we serve Douglas County residents,” Rains said. “This transition will help us work more efficiently, respond more quickly and provide a higher level of service.”

Rains, who is an elected official who has broad discretion over operational issues with the office, said the Sixth Street location offers a larger waiting area, free parking close by and a single-level entrance without steps.

He also said, in a press release, that a new greeter position will be added to the office to help people ensure they have the documents needed to complete their transactions. The position will be similar to one used by driver’s license offices across the state, he said.

The Douglas County Treasurer’s Office processes more than 130,000 motor vehicle transactions per year, in addition to being the lead department on the collection and administration of property tax bills.

While the treasurer won’t have a customer service office located inside the courthouse, the location will continue to have a drop box for people who want to pay their bills in that manner. The Douglas County Treasurer’s Office also allows people to pay motor vehicle fees and property taxes online. The site for motor vehicle renewals is: https://ikan.ks.gov. The site for property tax matters is: https://propertyinfo.douglascountyks.org.