The City of Washington has been selected to provide license plate services in 2020, according to a letter sent to Washington City Manager Jonathan Russell from the North Carolina DMV last month.

Russell said since the city already has the customer service infrastructure in place, it would be a matter of installing a new terminal and training staff to open the agency. Services will be provided in the lobby of the Washington Municipal Building, the same place local utility customers come to pay their bills.

“We’re looking at about a 120-day timeline from now until we’re operational,” Russell said. “We’re still on the early end of things, but we’re excited about the award.”

In terms of the cost to operate, the agency is likely to break even or possibly generate a small profit for the city. Russell said he anticipates hiring at least one full-time staff member to provide the service.

“We think about it being a sustainable service,” Russell said. “We’ll definitely break even or make a small amount of profit, outside of providing the service for citizens of Washington, Beaufort County and the region, as well, so that’s exciting. I think we were willing to break even or even subsidize slightly just to provide the convenience for the citizens.”

While the letter confirms the selection, the DMV declined to comment until a contract is finalized. Russell said he expects to send a signed contract back soon.

“Since the contract has not yet been finalized with the new LPA operator, DMV cannot comment at this time,” DMV Communications Officer John Brockwell wrote Thursday. “I will say the contract is expected to be finalized in a matter of days. Once that occurs, DMV will be able to confirm the name of the new LPA operator and provide a timetable for the opening of the new agency.”

The DMV’s search for a new contractor to provide the services dates back to December 2018, when the agency put out a call for prospective operators to replace Jesse and Peggy Rawls, who had provided license plate services in Beaufort County for 37 years. The two retired May 31, and since then, local drivers have had to go out of county or online for license plate services.

“We’re excited to offer this services to the citizens,” Russell said. “We look forward to getting the LPA up and running and hopefully it will be a great relationship between us and the state.”

Until the new service is up and running, services can be accessed online at www.ncdot.gov/dmv. For in-person services, the DMV suggests visiting following locations in the vicinity of Beaufort County:

• Greenville, 2462 Statonsburg Road, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., 252-756-5099
• Williamston, 305 East Main St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 252-789-4560
• Plymouth, 101 Forest Road, Suite C, from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and from 1:30 to 5 p.m., 252-793-2063
• Farmville, 3672 N. Main St., from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 to 5 p.m. Mondays -Thursdays, and from 8 a.m. to noon on Fridays, 252-753-6726
• New Bern, 2505 Neuse Blvd., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 252-637-4524
• Tarboro, 201 Saint Andrew St., from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., 252-641-6684
• Alliance, 13580 N.C. Highway 55 E., from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., 252-745-0695

All locations are open Mondays through Fridays, with the exceptions noted above.