CATOOSA, Okla. — Cherokee Nation will break ground Wednesday on a new tag office in Catoosa.

The 5,128-square-foot facility will replace the tribe’s current tag office which shares office space with the Cherokee Nation Welcome Center in Catoosa.

The new tag office will have 10 service agents, a larger lobby and more parking in order to better accommodate Cherokee Nation citizens purchasing license plates.

The tribe’s Catoosa tag office first opened in 2014. On average, the Catoosa tag office processes more than 3,000 motor vehicle tags for citizens each month.

With a larger facility, the tag office can accommodate the high demand of tags in a timely manner.

Since the Cherokee Nation first began offering its car tag program in 2002, the tribe has sold nearly 475,000 motor vehicle tags and over 16,000 boat tags, generating revenue that is invested into tribal programs including nearly $70 million into education, more than $30 million into roads and bridges, and nearly $6 million to law enforcement.

The Cherokee Nation also operates tag offices in Adair, Collinsville, Jay, Sallisaw and Tahlequah.