Katy’s drivers license bureau in the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9182 Community Hall has closed for good, but state officials say they are searching for another location inside city limits that will provide more room and improved customer service.

In the meantime, records on pending license and other applications have all been transferred to the Department of Public Safety’s office at 12220 South Gessner. Other nearby drivers license bureaus are at 4545 Dacoma St. and 1601 Townhurst Drive in Houston, or in the city of Rosenberg at 5505 Ave. N.

“Customers can go to any one of our offices,” said Joseph Ruggiero, manager of the driver’s license division in the Houston area. “But any of the customers who are doing parent-taught drivers training or have any application in process — all that paperwork is going to South Gessner.”
The Katy office at 6202 George Bush Drive closed Jan. 29, after the city of Katy declined to renew the state’s lease.

VFW officials urged the move, saying the license bureau had outgrown the building, and that the post needed the space to expand its museum. Post Commander Peyton Lumpkin said the veterans are now working on plans to more than double the size of their museum, with new display space for three storage rooms’ worth of artifacts — from weapons and medals to documents and uniforms.

“Ours is the only museum of its type … within 100 miles or so of Houston. We’re trying to upgrade and update it to make it a very nice tourist attraction for the city,” Lumpkin said.

Meanwhile, Robert Bugnand, a regional lease officer for the Texas Facilities Commission, said he is working on “several possibilities” for a new Katy drivers license bureau. Bugnand said he is looking for office space in the 3,500- to 4,000-square-foot range.

“The biggest thing is the parking and having an area where you can do driver license testing,” Bugnand said. “We’re working with the DPS to hopefully find the best value for the state and move forward. We’re looking specifically to find something in Katy.”

There is no way to tell how long the process could take, he said. “We’re hoping for something this year.”

The closing of the Katy office caught some patrons by surprise on the last day. A note on the DPS Web site states : “THIS OFFICE IS CLOSED. We appreciate your patience during this time and apologize for any inconvenience you may encounter as a result of this closing. Commercial DL services are available at the Houston-Gessner office and non-commercial DL and ID services are available at Houston-Dacoma and Townhurst offices.”

Carla Redhair, who was waiting in line on her daughter Anna’s 16th birthday, said she “absolutely” is sorry to see the bureau close. “We’ll just have to go farther and probably wait longer.”

Anna, a Taylor High School sophomore who was there to pick up her new license, said missing school to travel farther would be a problem. “I have to be back at school by 11:15 or I can’t go to softball practice,” she said.

Doug Marti and his son Cameron, a sophomore at Cinco Ranch High School, also greeted news of the closing with displeasure. They were already expecting to spend several hours waiting at the Katy office for Cameron’s new license. The next nearest location, South Gessner, is “slightly inconvenient for this side of town,” the elder Marti said.

Robin Ortiz, who was on a similar errand with her daughter Paige, a junior at Seven Lakes High School, said the Katy bureau needs “a bigger, more accommodating, nicer place.”

Ruggiero said there are “no hard feelings” toward the city of Katy. “We have a good relationship with the city and are working with them to find another location. It was just time for a new facility.”

Residents can search for the DPS driver’s license bureau closest to them at: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/rol...

POE
Department of Public Safety Offices

Address: 5505 Ave. N, Rosenberg, Texas 77471-5640; General Information, 281-633-5400

Address: 12220 South Gessner, Houston, Texas 77071-2831;
General Information, 713-219-4100

Address: 4545 Dacoma St., Houston, Texas 77092-8613; General Information, 713-683-0541

Address: 1601 Townhurst Drive, Houston, Texas 77043-3226; General Information, 713-465-8462