Georgia license, registration services to be out for 4 days

ATLANTA (AP) Georgians won't be able to renew driver licenses or vehicle registrations for several days beginning later this week.

The state Department of Driver Services computer system will be taken offline after offices close on Thursday and won't be available again until Jan. 3.

Offices would be closed anyway on Saturday and Monday to observe the New Year's holiday. But online and kiosk services, normally available at all times, will also be unavailable from late Thursday through Monday.

The Department of Driver Services and county tax commissioners are encouraging people to act before Thursday if their licenses or registrations expire during the outage period.

The department says it's upgrading its computer system, called the Driver Record and Integrated Vehicle Enterprise System (DRIVES). Officials say the upgrade will reduce costs and improve system performance.