Beginning next week, locals in search of a driver’s license won’t have to look quite as far as they’ve had to these past two years.

A driver’s license examiner will now be in Greenville every Monday beginning March 20 at the old health department building on the corner of South Conecuh Street and Walnut Street from 8 a.m. until noon, and from 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Previously, the office had only been open for one day per month as a result of the 2015 state budget crisis that left 33 offices around Alabama with limited hours of operation due to inefficient funding for the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.

Butler County probate judge Steve Norman said that the impact was especially felt in rural areas. 

When asked about what had changed between the financial circumstances two years ago and now, Norman replied, surprisingly, not much.

“I had a visit from two state troopers Tuesday, and they explained to me that they were basically trying to do more with less,” Norman said.

“They’re not increasing the number of employees.  They’re just going to try to get more coverage out of the employees they have and offer a better service.”

In the wake of 2015’s budget crisis, those Butler County residents seeking a driver’s license were left with two ideal choices in the Evergreen and Montgomery offices, both of which involved a 40 to 50-mile travel period and a lengthy wait in line.

Norman said that the return to weekly appearances from a driver’s license examiner would prove incredibly beneficial to the county, and perhaps to more citizens than one might suspect.

“The people that use the examiner’s office are primarily the new drivers who are getting their driver’s license, the CDL driver’s licenses that have to be renewed through the examiner’s office and then anyone moving in from out of state to move to Butler County in need of getting their license changed from one state to the other also has to go through the examiner.  Those are the three most prominent groups, though they aren’t the only ones.”

“Just being able to do that one day out of the month, particularly for people who are moving here, is tough.  They have to make sure they’re available on that Monday, and then they’ll have to get in line—and there will be a line.  It could take all day to get something accomplished. So it will be a tremendous help.”