Norwich — Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles customers waiting outside the local office here were being told Tuesday afternoon that they would have to wait five and a half hours to be served.

The long waits followed a one-week shutdown of all DMV offices statewide to upgrade the department's computer system and integrate the computers with new online services meant eventually to speed the process of registering cars and performing other services.

"I didn't expect it to be this long," said Abbie Wichael of Baltic, who was at the DMV to settle a title issue.

Wichael said she arrived at the DMV office about 7 a.m. — 45 minutes before it opened — and still had to wait two hours to get her number called.

But the title wasn't in the system, and she had to wait another two hours only to find out she still couldn't resolve the problem.

Wichael, wearing beach gear, seemed unfazed by the process, saying she understood it wasn't the fault of DMV personnel, who were unfamiliar with the new system.

"It is what it is," she said.

At a little after 1 p.m., a line of perhaps a couple dozen people stretched across two-thirds of the DMV building off Salem Turnpike as customers sweltered in 90-degree heat.

But by 2 p.m., the line outdoors had disappeared and everyone had been ushered inside the air-conditioned building, where waits of more than four hours persisted.

The DMV, anticipating long lines, set up a tent outside the building where personnel handed out  a dozen cases of water and gave out forms so people needing to just pick up paperwork could be on their way quickly.

A call to a DMV representative in public relations elicited no response to explain the long delays and apparent lack of personnel onsite.

One DMV employee who asked not to be identified said each of about a dozen stations had employees working and that three agency employees from Wethersfield had been dispatched to help out in Norwich, but customers complained about few stations being opened and a look inside in mid-afternoon indicated only about two-thirds of the checkout areas were being manned.

While DMV personnel reported that people waiting in line were generally patient and understanding, some were clearly annoyed by the long waits.

Steve Cholewa of Griswold said he waited a total of five hours in line to register a vehicle — two and a half hours in the scorching heat — and was surprised that only two to three receptionists appeared to be working at one time.

"If I knew it was going to be this bad I wouldn't have come here," Cholewa said.

But Simone Bouley of New London, who brought her younger brother Alex Bouley to register his car, said she was willing to give DMV personnel the benefit of the doubt.

"Everybody had a good attitude," she said.

DMV offices that had closed for most services from Aug. 11 to 17 resumed operations Tuesday while warning customers that waits would likely be long. 

Statewide, DMV Commissioner Andres Ayala Jr. had urged people to wait a couple of weeks before showing up, but many arrived in the early morning hours anyway.

The line wrapped around the Wethersfield branch office and through the parking lot at the branch in Hamden. Some people brought lawn chairs.

Ayala urged customers to be patient and reminded them that a 60-day extension on expiration dates for all driver's licenses, ID cards and vehicle registrations has been granted through Oct. 10.

The DMV was able to offer upgraded online services a few days early, over the weekend. The improvements affect registration-related services, including enhancements to online renewals.

Customers can also check for items that can hold up a registration renewal, such as unpaid property taxes, lack of insurance and delinquent parking violations.

Additionally, customers can now use the website to also reprint a registration certificate, and order special license plates and replacements for damaged license plates.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

l.howard@theday.com

Twitter: @KingstonLeeHow