A pilot program led by the Minot Area Chamber EDC has brought Minot Motor Vehicle services directly to Minot Air Force Base, giving Airmen and their families a convenient way to take care of vehicle-related paperwork without leaving base.
On the last Thursday of each month from 8:30 a.m. to noon, Airmen and families can visit a mini Motor Vehicle Division office just inside the rear entrance of the Bomber Bistro. The monthly office is manned by Lacey Coleman, who manages the full-time Minot Motor Vehicle Division office at Arrowhead Shopping Center in Minot.
Coleman told the Northern Sentry that the idea began about a year ago during a Team Minot meeting, when Chief Master Sgt. Wayne Sharp, the former 5th Bomb Wing Command Chief, mentioned the time Airmen were spending leaving base for routine vehicle-related tasks. Team Minot brings Task Force 21 members and base leadership together to identify ways the community can support the mission, Airmen, and their families.
“I know firsthand the unique quality-of-life and logistical challenges our Airmen face,” Sharp said. “One persistent issue was the significant time required to drive into town just to register a vehicle—often draining several hours of critical duty and personal time. The idea to establish a monthly on-base DMV service stemmed directly from analyzing the cumulative man-hours we could return to the wing annually.”
From there, the team at the Minot Area Chamber EDC ran with the idea. Coleman, along with President | CEO Brekka Kramer and Vice President Carla Dolan, worked to establish a solution that would bring the services of the Minot Motor Vehicle office, which the Chamber EDC is contracted by the State of North Dakota to operate, to Minot Air Force Base.
The result of those efforts is the monthly office inside the Bomber Bistro. Coleman says no appointments are necessary for anyone looking for service during her monthly trips to the base. Staff can issue license plates on site and complete many other vehicle-related services.
Customers may also visit the Minot Motor Vehicle Branch at Arrowhead Shopping Center, which is open Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., or use the title and registration kiosk located there. Using either location supports the Chamber EDC and its work to support the military community in the Minot area.
Titles are mailed directly to customers under the current North Dakota Department of Transportation process. As the pilot continues, the Chamber EDC will monitor usage and look for ways to make the process seamless.
She also explained that determining whether military members or their spouses need to register their vehicles in North Dakota can sometimes be confusing. While the office follows North Dakota law, it is also helpful to know a service member’s home of record or legal state of residence, since the laws of that state can affect registration requirements.
For more information about North Dakota vehicle registration and driver’s license requirements for military members and their spouses, read the Northern Sentry article, “License and Registration, Please?” at https://northernsentry.com/2023/01/13/license-and-registration-please/.
Chief Sharp said he is pleased to see the initiative continue to serve Team Minot even after his departure.
“This is a massive, tangible win for Team Minot,” Sharp said. “It directly preserves mission readiness by keeping our Airmen focused on the strategic deterrence mission, shields them from hazardous North Dakota winter driving conditions, and significantly eases the transition for incoming military families.”
Sharp acknowledged that initiatives like this do not always come together quickly or easily, but he praised the Minot Area Chamber EDC for listening to the needs of the military community and working collaboratively to make the service a reality.
