Anyone fortunate enough to live in Jefferson County knows what a geographically diverse place this is, stretching from the western edge of metro Denver to our beautiful — and far more spread out — mountain communities. As the elected official in charge of providing motor vehicle services to all of Jeffco, I want to ensure our mountain-area residents know about the efforts our Evergreen office is taking to deliver the best possible customer experience.

It begins with getting to know the places we serve. That’s why our Evergreen office supervisor Heather Kulesza recently took employees on a Saturday “field trip” to visit Evergreen, Morrison, Conifer, Foxton, Buffalo Creek and Pine. As Heather put it: “I wanted my team to see the mountain side of Jeffco, the areas where customers we serve live, and how far some people must drive to get here. If someone says they live ‘up the road,’ that could mean anywhere from 10 minutes away to an hour!” That fact also means we want our customers to be able to avoid the trip altogether, whenever possible.

Indeed, our Evergreen team loves seeing you, but with gas prices high and the pandemic unfortunately continuing, we encourage our customers to do things online. Most services, such as registration renewals, address changes, handicap placards and many new vehicle registrations, can be done from the comfort of your couch by visiting JeffcoDMV.com.

Or, since you’re likely still going to the grocery store — regardless of gas prices or a stubborn pandemic — why not obtain your renewal stickers on the spot after getting your food? We have a registration renewal kiosk at the King Soopers store in Conifer at 25637 Conifer Road. Visit www.Jeffco.us/Kiosk for a step-by-step guide on how to use it. (Spoiler alert: All you need is your vehicle information and a form of payment!)

For those who need extra assistance, you can visit JeffcoDMV.com during business hours and click on the green “Let’s chat” icon in the lower righthand portion of your screen. Our online chat service is staffed by live employees who are happy to help you complete your transaction remotely — and quickly. Or, if you prefer not to use these online resources, no problem: Our call center is available at 303-271-8100.

If you do need to make the trip “down the road” to see us, please schedule an appointment first to guarantee fast service at a dedicated time. We transitioned all of our offices to appointment-only during the pandemic, and the feedback has been so overwhelmingly positive — since appointments essentially eliminate in-person wait times — that we’re sticking with it.

To make your visit easy, read the appointment confirmation or chat with us before coming in to ensure you have the right paperwork. Our goal is always to complete your transaction quickly and efficiently on your first visit (since our team now knows well how far you might be driving!). But if you arrive without all necessary documents, we’ll still work with you to find a return visit that meets your schedule.

I hope you can tell that my team and I take our responsibility to all Jeffco customers seriously. We are dedicated to providing a 21st-century experience that is accessible and efficient. It’s one of the reasons I encourage all Clerk and Recorder employees to come up with new ideas that improve customer service, and it’s why I encourage you, the taxpayers of Jefferson County — my bosses — to send suggestions or feedback my way at any time: Countyclerk@Jeffco.us.

George Stern is the Jefferson County clerk and recorder. He lives “just down the road” in Golden where he also serves as a volunteer firefighter.