photo by: AP File Photo

This image provided by the Kansas Department of Revenue shows Kansas' driver's license design meant to comply with federal identification requirements for airport security purposes. (Kansas Department of Revenue via AP)

Now that election season is almost done, maybe you will want to spend more time at a driver’s license office to get your fill of government fun. Or, maybe not. Regardless, area residents now have — for the time being — a second option for renewing their Kansas driver’s licenses.

The Kansas Department of Revenue has opened a new driver’s license office inside the AAA Kansas store in the shopping center at Clinton Parkway and Kasold Drive.

The partnership between the state and AAA Kansas began today. The new office is in addition to the longtime driver’s license office that is located in the I-70 Business Center in North Lawrence.

Both locations require patrons to make an appointment prior to coming to the office. The second location adds to the number of available appointments in Lawrence. People can make an appointment by logging onto kdor.ks.gov/Apps/MotorVehicles/MobileSchedule.

The office offers most of the standard driver’s license office functions, including issuing Real IDs, which will become a requirement for boarding flights by Oct. 1, 2021. The location, however, is not one that offers driving tests for those seeking a license. People seeking to get a license for the first time will need to go to the local DMV headquarters in North Lawrence.

The AAA location is at 3514 Clinton Parkway, Suite K, which is in the shopping center that is adjacent to the Hy-Vee grocery store. AAA, which is a nationwide automotive and travel association, has partnered with several other states to host driver’s license offices. In a statement, regional general manager Krista Mullenger said she hoped the Lawrence partnership would lead to more AAA retail locations in Kansas serving as renewal sites for driver’s licenses.

Zachary Fletcher, a spokesman for the Department of Revenue, said current plans only call for the office to be open through November. The department has seen a backlog of renewal work as offices were shut down during parts of the pandemic. According to the department’s website, people with a driver’s license that expired on or after March 12 have been granted an extension in getting their renewal processed. However, that extension period is ending in the coming months. Currently, all licenses will be required to be renewed by Jan. 26. In addition to temporary offices like the AAA partnership, the department also is encouraging people to look at whether they can renew their license online. More information is available at ksrevenue.org.

As for the new Lawrence office, Fletcher said state employees continue to do the driver’s license renewal work while AAA provides the office space.

The new location comes after a 2019 project by the Department of Revenue to move and revamp its main Lawrence driver’s license office. The office moved into a new space at 1035 N. Third Street. The space is about twice as large as the old location, and has been completely updated with new furniture and fixtures, and six additional customer service positions were added.