Chilton County could be affected in 2016 by cuts to driver’s license offices throughout the state.

According to a release from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, a phased approach for the closure of driver license offices throughout the state would be a result of the Alabama Legislature not level funding the agency.

During transition and the first two quarters of 2015, ALEA examined the core functions of each legacy agency and determined the driver license system was “insufficient and archaic.”

In July, Secretary of Law Enforcement Spencer Collier announced a series of technology-based improvements which would result in more efficient service and shorter wait times for citizens of Alabama including online scheduling, online driver license renewals, self-serve kiosks, digital licensing for smart phones, and statewide equipment upgrades.

“Currently, ALEA maintains 75 driver license district and field offices across the state, but budget allocations do not cover costs and we operate with an $8.2 million deficit,” Collier said in a release. “During the 2015 regular and first specials sessions, the Legislature proposed General Fund budget cuts ranging from 22 percent to 47 percent cut from ALEA’s Fiscal Year 2015 appropriation. Should the Legislature pass devastating budget cuts, it will be necessary for the licensing division to close driver license district and field offices statewide.”

Phase 1 of the project would include closing 33 fields on Oct. 1. Field offices are in rural areas and operate on a part-time basis where a driver license examiner travels from a driver license office to a field office a couple of days a week for limited hours. These offices represented 5 percent of all ALEA driver license transactions each year, according to a release.

Phase 2 of the project would include counties such as Chilton County with district offices closing on Jan. 1, 2016, leaving only 12 offices statewide. Average drive times to reach an open office for citizens would increase to more than an hour, according to the release.

Phase 3 of the project would begin March 1, 2016, with all operations being moved to four offices including Huntsville, Birmingham, Montgomery and Mobile.

“Public safety is the core mission of state government,” Collier said in a release. “We are facing a looming budget crises in government services, and this is a statewide problem that will affect each of us. Gov. Bentley’s solution is an easy, workable and fair proposal that will raise $300 million in revenue and help the state continue to provide these services to Alabama citizens. Please contact your legislator and ask them to support Gov. Bentley’s solution to the budget crisis and put our state on a strong path forward.”

In June, the Alabama Department of Public Safety’s Driver License Division adjusted the days of services in Clanton and Wetumpka to maximize resources.

The Clanton examining office, located on the bottom floor of the Chilton County Courthouse, went from being open Monday through Thursday to being open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 9 a.m. until noon and from 1 to 4 p.m. The office is closed Monday and Friday.

The examining office in Clanton issues items such as driver’s learner’s permits, road tests, non-driver ID cards, boating licenses and motorcycle licenses. This will not affect license renewals, which are handled out of the Chilton County Probate Office.