BATON ROUGE (AP) — Louisiana’s Office of Motor Vehicles has started a pilot program that allows outside contractors to handle drivers’ license renewals.

The privatization program is being tested in Baton Rouge and Metairie. In each city, a public tag agent — a private business that processes vehicle title registrations — is also able to renew state drivers’ licenses.

State Police Col. Mike Edmonson, who oversees the state’s motor vehicle offices, said Monday the program is designed to expand renewal options in cities with long OMV lines.

Each of the two locations charges an extra $18 fee to renew the license, on top of the regular fees charged at a state-run motor vehicles office.

Edmonson says the privatization effort won’t close any of the state’s existing OMV offices or cause layoffs of any workers.