SANDPOINT — Department of Motor Vehicles operations are stuck in the slow lane in the Panhandle.

The Bonner County Sheriff’s Office is urging motorists to hold off on obtaining a driver’s license due to extended wait times at the DMV. Wait times are lasting two to three hours, according to a post to the office’s Facebook page.

“We understand some of you may need to get into the office promptly, just be advised of the wait time,” the post read.

The Idaho Transportation Department recently upgraded its 1980s-era computer equipment and software, which forced closures of DMV offices statewide for two days earlier this month.

Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger issued a pointed statement taking issue with ITD over licensing issues, which his deputies are taking the heat for.

Wolfinger said the problems have been plaguing motorists for the past 18 months.

“System failures have cost taxpayers thousands of dollars in staff time when no transactions could take place,” Wolfinger said, adding that ITD’s penchant for awarding project to the lowest bidder is resulting in poorly performing software systems, which is creating headaches for staff and motorists alike.

The state’s new Gem system began with extremely slow processing. Help desks in Boise required hours of waiting on the phone and local ITD officials had few to no answers for problems, Wolfinger said.

“Idaho is one of the two known states in the nation where the sheriff is responsible for vending driver’s licenses,” Wolfinger said, pointing out that Nebraska is the only other state which handles driver licensing and vehicle registration in this manner.

Wolfinger concluded by saying “it’s time for the local property taxpayers to quit supplementing the transportation department and get sheriffs out of the driver’s license-issuing business.”

Keith Kinnaird can be reached by email at kkinnaird@bonnercountydailybee.com and follow him on Twitter @KeithDailyBee.