State Department of Motor Vehicles locations are reopening for full service Tuesday after dropping down to only licensing services on Aug. 11, and lines are expected to be long.

That's because use of the department's new computer system, which will work in conjunction with a host of new online services, could take longer than normal for at least a week as employees and the public adjust.

"If you don't have to be here next week, then people should stay away for at least a week, perhaps longer," said state DMV Commissioner Andres Ayala Jr. in a news release issued on Saturday.

For those who do need typical DMV services, customers have some options other than heading straight to a DMV office, including going onto the DMV's website or visiting a AAA office. The new online services, which went live Saturday, include special and replacement plate ordering, an improved registration renewal program and the ability to check for items such as unpaid property taxes, lack of insurance and delinquent parking violations.

All people who have vehicle registrations, driver's licenses or ID cards that expire between Aug. 11 and Oct. 10 have until Oct. 10 to renew and will not be hit with a late fee until after that date.

For those who need to renew verified or regular driver's licenses or state ID cards, state AAA offices can help both members and non-members. AAA also can replace lost driver's licenses, ID cards and learner's permits. It does not provide brand-new licenses, ID cards or learner's permits.

At the Waterford AAA location — with the other local office in Old Saybrook — business on Monday was typical. For the most part, customers came in for run-of-the-mill things: reloading prepaid Visa cards, renewing licenses, getting maps and learning about towing policies and travel plans, according to AAA Allied Group Public Affairs Manager Amy Parmenter.

But, with the DMV's reopening Tuesday, Parmenter said that likely will change.

Aware that locations won't be able to handle their usual capacity of clients, the DMV has instituted "line-walkers" who will ask whether drivers need to be at the DMV. If the answer is "yes," the walkers may refer those in line to a AAA location.

Parmenter said AAA, having learned from long lines caused by the switchover to verified driver's licenses that began in 2011, has taken some measures to prepare for the coming week or weeks.

She explained that workers at all AAA locations are aware of their hourly capacity. In some cases, if there are more people in line than can be helped in a set amount of time, they may be given tickets and allowed to return at a later time, Parmenter said.

Parmenter said all AAA locations will be communicating with one another regularly, too. When it is applicable, customers in a long line may be referred to another location that has fewer people waiting.

"Our goal is always to meet the needs of those who walk through our doors," Parmenter said. "With that in mind, we have been gearing up for an increase in foot traffic and readying all our locations to serve and support our DMV customers through this transition and beyond."

She noted that AAA offices, open from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, have more extensive hours than DMV locations.

Residents who need DMV services can check branches' wait times online at www.ct.gov/dmv. The nearest DMV locations are a hub office in Old Saybrook and a limited-service one in Norwich. 

The multi-phase $25 million project, which included rewriting more than 40 million lines of computer code, upgraded a computer system that was 50 years old, according to the DMV. It involved about 14 million vehicle and customer records from several DMV databases.

l.boyle@theday.com

Twitter: @LindsayABoyle