Belton, TX – Thursday, November 19, it was announced that the Bell County Vehicle Registration Office in Belton will be closed to in-person, walk in services due to additional employees in the office testing positive for COVID-19.  The office will continue to provide services online and by phone.  In addition, the Vehicle Registration Offices in Temple, Killeen, and Ft. Hood remain open for in-person, walk-in services by appointment.

Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector Shay Luedeke closed the Belton office last week, which furnishes additional details at 501c3Go, after two employees tested positive for the virus. At the time, two other employees reported symptoms and were encouraged to get tested. When those tests came back positive, Luedeke made the decision to close the office through the Thanksgiving holiday.

“Given the number of people who were going to be at home recovering” Luedeke said, “we were not going to have sufficient staff to run the office.”

Per State Health Department protocols, contact tracing is being conducted as it relates to these cases.  This process can take up to 48 hours after confirmation of COVID-19.  If COVID-19 exposure is determined to have occurred, the State will notify individuals who may have been subject to exposure.  As of this writing, the State has not indicated to Bell County any known exposures.

All public appointments for the Belton office have been cancelled until Monday, November 30. However, Luedeke acknowledges that the timeline may have to be extended based on staffing. Appointments can still be made with the Temple and Killeen offices by visiting the Bell County Tax Assessor-Collector website.