DMACC provides lot for Jasper County’s motorcycle license test course

Jasper County has resumed motorcycle license tests as a result of a local partnership with DMACC Newton Campus.

The driver’s license and motor vehicle department has not been able to provide motorcycle license tests for the past year-and-a-half. Jasper County Treasurer Doug Bishop said some of the logistics of the course changed over time, which required more space that was not possible at the course’s previous location.

“It just wasn’t feasible for us to use that existing location anymore,” Bishop said.

Located due west of the Centre for Arts & Artists, the new course is technically on DMACC property around the Legacy Plaza area. Dr. Joe DeHart, the provost of the DMACC Newton Campus, spoke highly of the collaboration with Jasper County, and he sees it as a no-brainer for both entities and the community.

“Partnering with the county to use space at Legacy Plaza just makes sense,” DeHart said in a statement to the Newton News. “It is close to county offices, is centrally located and fits into the mission of Legacy Plaza by improving services to our communities.”

In order to receive a motorcycle license, customers will have to first take the written permit test. If they pass, they can take the riding skills test, which requires proof of insurance and a motorcycle that is registered and street-legal. Customers would have to schedule their riding skills test with the county DMV.

Bishop said the riding skills test takes about 30 to 45 minutes. So far, only one staff member at the Jasper County DMV is certified to conduct the test. But the county treasurer said there will be two other individuals — himself included — that will be certified within the next month.

“That way there should always be somebody there that is certified,” he said. “So if somebody was to drop in and say, ‘Hey, I got a chance this afternoon … would it be possible to take a motorcycle skills test?’ Between one or the three of us, we’re hopefully going to be able to free up enough time to run across to that lot.”

Any resident of the state of Iowa can utilize this test in Jasper County. Bishop anticipates customers from surrounding counties will take advantage of the returning service, noting that both driver’s license stations in Marshalltown and Ankeny have a backlog of customers.

“They’re going to put word out to folks that are calling in now to say, ‘Hey, if one of the times we have doesn’t work, feel free to reach out to Jasper County.’ That does two things: That gets folks their motorcycle license much more quickly, and it also brings in revenue from outside the county to Jasper County,” Bishop said.

The treasurer also noted the DMV can be an economic driver for the community, particularly when it comes to outside county traffic.

“It brings folks to Newton and then they spread a little economic dollars back here as well,” Bishop said. “Every opportunity we have to not only spend some money but showcase our community in a positive manner, I think we need to utilize every opportunity we can to do both of those.”

Out-of-county customers have caught on to the speedy processes of the Jasper County DMV. More and more seem to be coming every day as the word gets out, Bishop said; a lot of people still do not realize they can renew their driver’s license anywhere in the state of Iowa.

Where the county is seeing a larger uptick is in youth permits and driver’s licenses. As soon as people from Bondurant or Altoona or Mitchellville figure out they can get their child’s permit or driver’s license, they tell other parents how easy and quick the process was.

Jasper County DMV is located at 315 W. Third St. N., suite 500, in Newton.