Kapa‘a Satellite DMV brings services to island’s largest residential area

There is a new shortcut to service at the Kaua‘i County Division of Motor Vehicles, due to a new satellite office that launched in January in Kapa‘a town, the largest residential area on the island.

The Kapa‘a Satellite DMV is located in the Kapa‘a Armory opposite the Brian J. Baptiste Memorial Sports Complex on Kahau Road. Personnel at three service windows handle motor vehicle transactions, utility payments, bus passes and tipping coupons.

Service is available by appointment only at this time, said Mayor Derek Kawakami, who delivered opening remarks at a grand opening ceremony on Thursday.

“The DMV is the face of the county of Kaua‘i,” Kawakami said. “It is the one place where there is constant traffic all day long, and more people interact with the [Division] of Motor Vehicles than any other department.”

The Division of Motor Vehicles is headquartered in the Pi’ikoi Building of the Līhu‘e Civic Center, more than 9 miles south of the Kapa‘a Satellite DMV.

Walk-in appointments and “kupuna hours” may be introduced to the Kapa‘a satellite office in the future. Another space in the armory building, which also houses a police substation, will eventually accommodate ID production, storage and a break room for DMV employees.

Kawakami and others credited Reiko Matsuyama, the county’s managing director, with the vision to decentralize county services and bring them directly to communities.

Kawakami entered the mayor’s office in 2018. Under his administration, the county Division of Motor Vehicles has added six new positions to bring the total number of employees to 29.

The division also has focused on technology with an updated webpage, a back-of-house customer management tool and digitized historical records. Customers may now take their written driver’s license permit test from the comfort of their home.

Four registration-renewal kiosks have been installed in grocery stores on the North Shore and East Side. Kawakami said a new West Side location is now in the works, following the closure of Ishihara Market in Waimea.

The division, according to the mayor, has transformed its operating style and placed an emphasis on customer service. All front-facing DMV agents have been cross-trained across all services.

“Most importantly, the biggest change that we’ve done was to invest in our team,” Kawakami said. “We look forward to delivering the aloha spirit.”

The Kapa‘a Satellite DMV is open to appointment holders from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday, except for state and federal holidays. Customers must check in for their scheduled appointment using their mobile device.

Visit kauai.gov for more information about the Kaua‘i County Division of Motor Vehicles. To view a map of the division’s community-based kiosks, click here.