Local Service Oklahoma office not closing

Jan. 24—A recent news report stated that Service Oklahoma was closing, but the licensed operator in Tahlequah wants to assure the public this is not true.

Service Oklahoma is a licensed operator, not a tag agency. The office is at 25 Plaza South and is owned by Brenda Brooks. She has owned the company for many years.

"We're just under a different branch — Service Oklahoma, not under the Oklahoma Tax Commission. So are the driver's license examiners and voter registration," Brooks said.

The driver's license examiners recently moved into the space next to Service Oklahoma's tag office.

"We're adjusting; they've only been here three days. It's not quite ready. We have two examiners who will be here and hopefully a third one," Brooks said. "Written driving tests, driving tests, and CDLs are all done here now. You can do everything right here in our office right now [like people could do in the old office by the police station]."

Brooks said Tahlequah is a busy area, and many people travel a long distance.

"They were going to move [the driver's license examiners] to Muskogee, but Service Oklahoma called and asked if I would entertain at least having one examiner set up in my office. I rented the north side of this building and knocked the walls out to accommodate us all in this building," Brooks said.

Currently there are two examiners in the office, and one is in Muskogee. At press time, it was unknown if the examiner in Muskogee will be in the Tahlequah office at some point.

"We also issue to Chickasaw and Choctaw [tribal members] out of here, so if they are Chickasaw and Choctaw, they come here," Brooks said.

To get a first-time driver's license, a person needs a state-issued birth certificate and Social Security card, and must take a written test.

"If they've taken the test through the school and had driver's ed, they can come here and bring their certificate. We can do that here now and don't have to go through the learning permit process," Brooks said. "You have to have the learner's permit or the certificate from the school for six months before taking the driving test."

For people who lose their licenses due to driving under the influence or revocation for other infractions, the process involves reinstatement fees, and the individuals have to complete a mandated program, Brooks said.

"After they've paid their fees and completed the program, proof has to be brought here, and we look them up in the system. If they haven't paid their fees, it tells us and we have to send them away, and they have to take care of that," Brooks said.

A valid license is required to be issued a title, and a state ID cannot be used. Proof of insurance is required if the car is to be driven on the road.

"A title, bill of sale, driver's license and insurance is what you need," Brooks said. "A person who doesn't have a driver's license, but owns a car and doesn't drive, can have [another driver] use their driver's license."

The driver examiners are under Service Oklahoma, but in a department other than the tag services.

"It's my building, so it's up to me if we are open or closed, but you are required to be open so many hours, and have to be open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Bad weather can alter those hours," Brooks said.

There are only two other tag offices in Cherokee County: the Keetoowah Tag Agency and the Cherokee Nation Tag Office.

The Keetoowah Tag Agency is at 18300 Keetoowah Circle in Tahlequah and is managed by Director Sheila Bluebird. According to the website for this tag office, renewal notices for expired tags are sent to Keetoowah members as courtesy reminders, but the notice is not needed to renew a vehicle registration. But an owner is responsible for renewing the registration, even if the notice is not received.

Delinquent penalties will not be imposed by Keetoowah Tag Agency but law enforcement may ticket an owner at their discretion.The office does not accept checks anymore but does accept electronic payments, and a charge of $3 will be made for all digital payments.

A full range of services are available from adding a person's name to a title, getting a duplicate title, personalized tags and more. A relatively new service is active-duty tags for members and spouses for the Air Force, National Guard, Coast Guard, Marine Corps and Navy. Veterans tags can also be purchased with the presentation of a DD214 form when registering their vehicles.

The Cherokee Nation Tag Office has locations in Tahlequah, Adair, Catoosa-Tulsa, Collinsville, Jay, Sallisaw, and Stilwell. In Tahlequah, the office is at 120 E. Ballentine Road. According to the tag office website, Cherokee Nation citizens can register all motor vehicles including farm trucks, commercial vehicles, trailers, boats and motors, RVs, travel trailers and ATVs.

"At-large citizens residing in Oklahoma may also register their vehicles at the same rate as Oklahoma Motor Vehicle Division with a 10% discount," states the site.

People qualified as physically disabled and have a five-year expiration parking permits, or whose vehicles have had modifications because of the disability, are eligible for a free or reduced-cost tag. More information is available at the website.

Parking permits are obtained through the Department of Public Safety. Vehicle tags can be renewed online beginning the first day of the renewal month.

Learn more

Go to www.ukb-nsn.gov/tag-agency for downloadable forms and more information on pricing and requirements for UKB members. For more information on how to use the services of the CN Tag Office, go to tagoffice.cherokee.org.