Newer technology and personal service have combined to cut wait times and provide service for growing numbers of people at the Georgia Department of Driver Services’ office on Aviation Boulevard in Gainesville.

Computers are available when people walk in the door — applications can be filled out; a kiosk is available for information.

Adan Palacio, office manager in Gainesville, said he and other staff members work near the front door as a way to quickly answer questions about the computers, the process, about driver’s tests.

He said assistance from employees near the front door can clear up questions quickly — especially for customers who do not speak English as their first language. About 50 percent of the office customers are Hispanic, Palacio said.

He said traffic in the office has been increasing over the past few months — it was 800 people Feb. 23. It has been more than 600 per day several times, he said.

According to the office website, the wait time at 11:10 a.m. Friday was two minutes. State records show the average wait time for January 2016 was 3:09, a decrease from the 3:31 time in December 2015.

The workload at the Gainesville office also was more than 10,000 each of those months — back to the levels seen in June 2013 when the average wait was 41:09.

The Department of Driver Services placed an emphasis in 2013 or reducing those wait times, and it has steadily come down.

In October 2015, the wait time was down to 2:30 — a reduction of nearly six minutes from June.

Palacio said the state is considering enlarging the Gainesville office to accommodate the growing number of clients. He said an expansion could enlarge the foyer and the left side (facing the building) of the office.

That would accommodate more computers for customers. The office now has three stations. An expansion could double or triple the number.

Palacio said he encourages people to go online first — www.dds.ga.gov. That allows them to fill out a form for a license, permit or identification card, he said.

The office also works with the Hall County tax commissioner’s office to provide information to customers. The tax commissioner’s website can be found at tax.hallcounty.org.

The office is open from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday to Friday and 8 a.m. to noon Saturday. Palacio said the office typically is busy from about 10 a.m. to noon and from about 2-4 p.m.

The Gainesville office also gives driving tests — for regular licenses and for commercial vehicles. Appointments can be made for both kinds of tests through the office website under the “drivers info” link.