Madison County License Office to open Feb. 13

The Madison County License Office is scheduled to open for business Feb. 13 at the Madison County Health Department located at 806 W. College.

Office hours will be Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. closing 12:30 to 1 p.m. daily for lunch with extended hours on the last working day of the month until 7 p.m. The office can be reached at 573-783-2747 ext. 1006.

The Missouri Office of Administration, in conjunction with the Missouri Department of Revenue, awarded the management contract for the License Office to the Madison County Health Department in December.

Madison County Health Department Administrator Becky Hunt said the department is pleased to have been awarded the bid.

“This is a service the citizens of Madison County need locally,” Hunt said. “After the local office closed, during a staff meeting, it was suggested we look into the license office.”

Hunt said the Health Department Administration reviewed the bid proposal criteria and, based on the eligibility of applications, determined the health department was a qualified applicant under the political subdivision category.

The Madison County Health Department was notified Dec. 17 that its proposal was being awarded and the health department would be operating the Madison County License Office through Oct. 15, 2023.

“We are looking forward to providing the service to our citizens,” Hunt said. 

The Fredericktown License Office closed its doors Oct. 12. The owners of the contract were Ken and Debbi Lee, Owners of Lee Insurance. The Lees said said they decided to not renew their contract with the Department of Revenue so they could focus on expanding their insurance business.

Since the closure of the office, Madison County residents had been taking care of license office needs in surrounding counties. The next closest offices are the Farmington License Office at 103 Walker Rd. in Farmington, the Arcadia Valley License Office at 203 Maple St. B in Pilot Knob and the Perryville License Office at 624 B N. Old St. Mary’s Rd. in Perryville.

According to the Department of Revenue website, in fiscal 2018 (July 1, 2017 to July 30, 2018), the Fredericktown license office had 22,449 total transactions and generated total processing fees of $75,028.

The Madison County Health Department displays a “coming soon” sign at its location at 806 W. College Ave. in Fredericktown.

Victoria Kemper is a reporter for the Democrat News. She can be reached at 573-783-3366 or at vkemper@democratnewsonline.com