More driver license offices will be opening Fridays, with the state considering extending the hours at three and possibly four locations to help reduce long lines.

Gov. Gary Herbert has directed the state Driver License Division to begin planning for some extended hours.

The Draper driver license office was already scheduled to break with the state's four-day workweek and begin operating Fridays beginning this week.

It is anticipated that others will follow, with the West Valley and Fairpark offices -- which have seen the longest lines -- the most likely to extend their hours. Herbert's spokeswoman, Angie Welling, said the division is also looking at whether to open offices in Davis and Utah counties.

"As far as any more offices opening, we are definitely taking a very close look at that," said Jeff Nigbur, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety. He said plans were still in process, but finding a solution is a "high priority."

The driver license offices have been swamped by new proof-of-citizenship requirements that took effect Jan. 1 as part of the federal Real ID Act. Now applicants have to provide a certified copy of their birth certificates and the division has to scan and store copies of the document.

As a result, the pace of processing applicants has slowed to a crawl, and lines at some offices reach three hours or more during peak hours. On Tuesday, the wait at the West Valley City office was more than an hour, and the delay at the Farmington and Fairpark offices was more than 3 ½ hours.

Herbert said last month his office was considering opening additional offices and he found the wait times to be unacceptable. The governor said he thinks the goal should be to get wait times down to 20 minutes or less.

One major issue that is still being worked through is how to pay to extend the hours at the various offices during a budget squeeze. It will likely require hiring new staff, or paying overtime to current workers. Welling said the division expects to cover the costs through a portion of the fees retained by the division.

It was estimated that it would cost about $500,000 a year to keep the Draper driver license office open.

Rep. Eric Hutchings, R-Kearns, who co-chairs the appropriations subcommittee overseeing the Department of Public Safety, said opening the office Fridays was "not a perfect solution, but we have to do something."

"Government created this problem, and government needs to solve it," Hutchings said. "We absolutely have to expand our ability to serve the public."

Welling said the Governor's Office is looking at other possible remedies.

One would entail a pilot program in which a representative from the state Health Department could be on-site at the Driver License Office. In most cases, for those born after 1936, the representative could print certified copies of an individual's birth certificate on-site, saving the customer hassle and a return trip.

The Driver License Division also plans to allow residents to make reservations to avoid long lines, beginning next month.

The Division has already begun offering six-month provisional permits to residents who are unable to renew their licenses because they lack proper documents. The provisional license enables the resident to drive legally while he or she acquires needed documentation.

Also, the Division publishes average wait times on its Web site, so patrons can avoid peak hours.