MONTICELLO – The Sullivan County Clerk’s Office continues to operate during the Coronavirus outbreak. While the office and the DMV are closed to public visitation, drop boxes at the entrance to the Government Center in Monticello are regularly checked, and transactions continue to be processed.
“We are open every day with a drastically reduced staff that is practicing safe social distancing, and they are taking every precaution available,” County Clerk Russell Reeves affirms. “Currently, deeds, license renewals, registration renewals, and plate surrenders are being processed through the dropbox.”
“During these times, people are struggling financially, and we realize the only way to cancel an automobile insurance policy is to turn in the vehicle plates, so we are working to make these services as accessible as possible to the public under these extreme circumstances,” he said.
As a constitutional office, the Clerk’s Office files all county states of emergency, and by court administrative order, the office remains available for emergency mental hygiene filings, guardianship matters, coronavirus-related emergency applications, election law applications, and other court-essential civil filings.
“People still need to move into new and often needed living spaces, so we are processing deeds and transactions for land sales as quickly as we can,” Reeves said. “My staff continues to answer the phones and address questions and concerns of our County residents while providing guidance and assistance the best they can.”
Pistol permit amendments are also being processed, and the office is working to provide important information on any SAFE Act changes.
Meanwhile, the DMV is operating with a staff of only the current deputy and administrator. All registrations, driver’s licenses and inspections that expired in March have been extended until further notice. Enhanced driver’s licenses and Real IDs have also been extended an additional year until October 2021.
