The Fayette County tag office will be closed Sept. 7 for a system upgrade.

The motor vehicle registration system will convert to a statewide “Gratis” system along with 127 other Georgia counties.

Among aspects of the new system, according to county tax commissioner George Wingo, will be enhancements that allow police departments to get up to the minute vehicle registration information.

In the past, there has been a delay in transferring tag information from the state's vehicle data base to a law enforcement data base, he said.

“Other enhancements generally lend themselves to serving the public quicker and more easily than in the past,” said Wingo.

Tax commissioners will be able to process titles and registrations and collect taxes more efficiently, he said. “The state of North Carolina implemented this system over the last several years and have enjoyed much success with the ability to expedite tag and title transactions,” said Wingo.

The tag office will close Sept. 7 to hook up the equipment and bring it on line, and to practice transactions and allow the staff to get comfortable with the new hardware and software, Wingo added.

“We appreciate the patience of the public with this conversion and we expect that we will be up to full speed within 30 to 45 days,” he said. “Some of the equipment is much newer than equipment we have used in the past so that some time must be spent acquainting staff personnel with the use of this equipment.”

He said officials are hoping that problems with the conversion will be few and minor.

For more information, visit the tax commissioner's web site at www.fayettecountytaxcomm.com or phone 770-461-3611.