DOVER-FOXCROFT- The state Bureau of Motor Vehicles has slowly expanded its services by allowing private businesses to issue license renewals.

Eight Rite Aid pharmacies in the state currently serve as driver’s license renewal centers for the bureau by providing license renewals for Maine residents.

The expansion was done so residents would have improved services but the bureau’s budget wouldn’t be strained.

“State resources are far and few between, and the motor vehicle bureau is funded by the Highway Fund and that has been a very tight fund now for several years,” Rebecca Wyke, chief deputy of the Secretary of State, explained this week.

“We don’t have the ability to open additional branch offices, so we have tried to find creative ways to serve the public without too much expense,” Wyke said.

The bureau’s collaboration with local businesses has been a good one, the official said.

“It’s provided us an opportunity to bring services closer to citizens and hours that are convenient for them,” Wyke said.

Seven years ago, said Wyke, state officials became concerned that there weren’t enough convenient locations for Maine residents to get their license renewals.

She said branch offices in Augusta, Bangor, Calais, Caribou, Ellsworth, Kennebunk, Lewiston, Mexico, Portland, Rockland, Springvale, South Portland and Topsham, and the mobile units that made weekly stops in smaller communities, offered limited hours.

To expand the service, inquiries were made of local businesses in areas of the state considered underserved by the bureau, as based on population, Wyke said.

A bank and an IGA supermarket were the first to participate, but those two agencies later opted out of the program.

The state provides the equipment for the license renewals and the training.

Since then, Rite Aid stores expressed interest in providing the service, and several have been retained as agents, according to Wyke.

The stores offering the service are located in Brewer, Houlton, Machias, Madawaska, Portland, Scarborough, Skowhegan and Waterville. Wyke said she doubted that the stores benefit in retail sales from the foot traffic for the license renewal sales.

The store does, however, collect a $2 fee for every license renewal. Wyke said about $10,000 in license renewals were made last year in the added license renewal centers.

Other efforts made by the bureau to improve services include switching to digital photographs.

Wyke said in the future, residents will be able to renew licenses online because the digital photographs will be on file. Some of the branch offices already offer digital driver’s licenses. Others, including the driver’s license renewal centers, will offer that option at a later date.

The overall purpose, Wyke said, is to improve services for the public.

“It’s wonderful we’ve had business work with us,” she said.