Car-tag renewal kiosks ‘another touch point of convenience’ in Sedgwick County

If you live outside of Wichita proper and need to get your car tags renewed, this news is for you.

Sedgwick County is starting a pilot program to offer kiosks at various City Halls for people in outlying communities to renew their tags.

“They’re kind of like an ATM,” said County Commissioner David Dennis.

Sedgwick County’s first two test kiosks, which will be ready in two or three months, will be in the Goddard and Haysville City Halls.

“It’s an invaluable service to people in my district,” County Commissioner Michael O’Donnell said. “Having a kiosk would obviously alleviate stress at the tag office.”

Assistant county manager Tania Cole said it was Sedgwick County Treasurer Linda Kizzire who had the idea for the kiosks, which also are in use in Johnson County.

The machines, which costs $26,466 each, are solely to renew car tags. The county hasn’t yet determined if there will be a fee to use the kiosks.

Customers can pay their renewals with a credit card or check — not cash. The kiosks can print registrations, but the actual stickers that are applied to license plates will be mailed separately.

“It’s going to be very similar to what they can do online for their tag renewal,” Cole said.

So why even have them?

Cole said they’re “another touch point of convenience for Sedgwick County citizens.”

“They may not feel comfortable doing it online,” she said. “It’s just another opportunity if you’re out and about.”

Dennis said the idea is to put the kiosks out in the county for the convenience of people who live in areas without a tag office.

In 2018, the county closed three satellite tag offices — at 21st and Maize, 21st and Woodlawn and in Derby.

At the time, the county opened a second full-size tag office at 5620 E. Kellogg, near Kellogg and Edgemoor.

The other full-size office is at Douglas and Meridian.

“That’s about the center of the county,” Dennis said.

However, he said, “That’s a long way to come to do routine work.”

Cole said if there’s a good response to the kiosks, Kizzire will speak to the other county commissioners about adding them in their districts as well.

The pilot program likely will last 60 to 90 days once it starts.

“This is just giving more opportunities and avenues to pay,” O’Donnell said. “Hopefully each commissioner will get one in each district, and the county will be covered.”

This story was originally published March 10, 2020 at 5:01 AM.