Pasco County residents needing driver license services at the West Pasco Government Center will have them back Monday, July 20, when Tax Collector Mike Fasano's New Port Richey office reopens at 8:30 a.m. after a renovation that added nine service counters.

The office at 8731 Citizens Drive jumped from 13 front-counter stations to 22, and the waiting lobby was expanded, according to a press release Fasano's office published Thursday, July 17.

Driver license services had been suspended at the location since Monday, June 1, while the remodel was underway. During that stretch, residents who normally used the West Pasco office had to visit one of the Tax Collector's four other locations for license work, including the Wesley Chapel office at 4610 Pet Lane in Lutz.

"While it is never an easy decision to partially close one of our offices, we feel this restoration project was well worth the wait," Fasano said in the release, thanking residents of New Port Richey, Port Richey, Hudson, and surrounding communities for their patience.

What it means for Wesley Chapel residents

Wesley Chapel has its own Tax Collector office off Wesley Chapel Boulevard, and it remained fully operational throughout the renovation. But the countywide capacity boost matters here, too: fewer residents from western Pasco communities will need to drive east for license services, a pattern that began when the West Pasco office suspended license work June 1.

The Wesley Chapel office is one of only two Tax Collector locations open Saturdays, from 8:30 a.m. to noon, for Pasco residents, according to the office's website.

Hours and contact

All five Pasco County Tax Collector offices offer driver license services on weekdays. License testing requires check-in by 4 p.m. The centralized call center can be reached at (727) 847-8032, (352) 521-4338, or (813) 235-6076, Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The West Pasco Government Center office reopens Monday, July 20, at 8:30 a.m. at 8731 Citizens Drive, Room 120, New Port Richey.