Erie County, NY – Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns along with local dignitaries cut the ceremonial red ribbon to mark the Grand Opening of the relocated Auto Bureau inside the Eastern Hills Mall. The branch officially opens to the public on Monday, May 17, 2021.

The new facility features a larger customer area to accommodate proper social distancing due to COVID-19 protocols, protective glass shielding, an updated design to more efficiently serve customers, an expanded testing area, and most importantly additional customer service windows.

“We are excited to be finished with the construction and thank all our partners in government and the private sector that helped make it a reality,” stated Kearns. “This long-awaited relocation allowed us to expand to meet the needs of the growing population in this portion of Erie County, as well as to provide the finest service possible in a more suitable environment for both our customers and our staff in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

All visits for in-person transactions at the Erie County Auto Bureau require an appointment. “By requiring a reservation, the wait time is now dramatically reduced,” said Kearns. “The majority of our customers are obtaining same or next day appointments and are in and out of our office in 20 minutes.” Kearns added, “This is not the standard in other adjacent counties.”

The project was financed utilizing funds through the Federal CARES Act at a cost of approximately $135,000. The interior remodel and construction were completed with the assistance of local contractors including Guard Contracting, BGI Interiors, HDE Electric and VSP Graphics, as well as Eastern Hills Mall Management and Uniland Development Company.

Customers can apply for their driver’s permits and licenses, obtain non-driver identifications, Enhanced or REAL ID compliant documents, register vehicles, turn-in license plates and complete a number of other DMV transactions.  As always, motorists are encouraged to “Renew Local” and patronize the Erie County Auto Bureaus when renewing their vehicle registrations and driver’s licenses.

Kearns stated, “In part through our Renew Local efforts, the Erie County Clerk’s was able to provide an additional $2.5 million dollars in unanticipated revenues to the County that go towards important projects and services that are vital to the community.

The Auto Bureau located in the Eastern Hills Mall will serve motorists in the surrounding areas of Akron, Alden, Amherst, Bowmansville, Clarence, Lancaster, Newstead and Williamsville. This branch alone is projected to conduct over 66,000 transactions annually. It is one of five current locations operated by the Erie County Clerk’s Office with a sixth scheduled to open in the southern region of the County later this year.

For a complete list of Auto Bureau locations or to schedule an in-person appointment go to erie.gov/clerk/autobureau. For those requiring a reasonable accommodation or do not have access to a computer or internet can call the Clerk’s Outreach Center at 716-858-8864.

Pictured in Photo: Erie County Clerk Mickey Kearns and Scott Bieler, President of West Herr Automotive Group cut the ribbon during the Grand Preview Ceremony of the relocated Erie County Auto Bureau inside the Eastern Hills Mall. Also, on hand (left to right), Heather Snyder, Auto Bureau Supervisor; Kim Bowers, Deputy County Clerk; Madonna Bishop, Auto Bureau Manager; Chris Greene, Erie County Legislator; Frank Todaro, Erie County Legislator; Bob Geiger, Clarence Council Member; Nancy Metzger, Clarence Town Clerk; Pat Casilio, Clarence Town Supervisor.