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http://dls.state.va.us/pubs/hilights/2008/Highlights2008.pdf

It’s Time To Modernize How DMV’s Operations Work

As Appearing in March 9th Commentary Section of the Richmond Times-Dispatch
By RYAN MCDOUGLE
TIMES-DISPATCH COLUMNIST

As everyone who has gone to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to pick up a registration, title a vehicle, or renew a driver’s license knows, your visit starts with taking a number from a machine. Even when customer service agents are working at every available window, you may still have a lengthy wait before your number is called. If you’ve picked a day when many of your fellow Virginians have also decided to visit the DMV, your wait may be excruciatingly lengthy.

During the past several years, Virginia’s DMV has taken steps to alleviate the time you spend at its customer service centers. Many transactions can now be completed by phone, mail, or online. At most centers, lines have been significantly reduced and a new number assignment system gets customers to the right window more quickly.

Even with these improvements, a lot more can be done to reduce the frequency of DMV visits for Virginians. And these changes can be cost-effective for both consumers and the commonwealth with the passage of Senate Bill 116, which I sponsored this session.

This legislation — versions of which have been approved by both houses of the Assembly — is designed to reduce the number of Virginians who rely on DMV customer service centers to perform their automotive-related transactions. By doing so, the measure will reduce the agency’s future operational costs, which makes it a good deal for taxpayers.

The unfunded mandates of the Federal Real ID Act place new burdens on our DMV. The agency must replace a 20-year-old computer system, convert to a central issuance system for driver’s licenses, and take other steps to comply with new federal requirements. These upgrades are costly, and to offset these new expenses, Gov. Kaine proposed raising the cost of five-year driver’s license from $4 to $6 per year.

SB 116 takes a different approach to this challenge. Sen. Yvonne Miller (D-Norfolk) and I worked to craft a solution that lengthens the period a driver’s license is valid, offers incentives and discounts for Virginians who complete their business without visiting the DMV, and charges a small service fee only for those renewing their vehicle registration in person at a customer service center instead of by phone, mail, or online.

Presently, Virginia driver’s licenses expire after five years. But recent changes made by Congress allow states to issue licenses for up to eight years. By conforming our expiration cycle with the maximum allowed by federal law, Virginians will have to visit the DMV less frequently. SB 116 allows for this change and does not raise the current $4 per year charge for a Virginia driver’s license.

Of all the common transactions performed at DMV customer service centers, registration renewal can be most easily completed without paying a visit. Yet because old habits die hard, many Virginians are not availing themselves of the option to renew their plates by phone, mail, or online.

Currently, one can renew his vehicle’s registration for up to two years — but there is no discount offered for taking advantage of this convenience. To encourage consumers to renew for more than one year, SB 116 would give a discount of $1 per year to those who opt for a multiple-year registration. Additionally, customers who use the internet to renew their registration will receive a second discount of $1 per transaction.

Instead of charging every consumer more because of increased government expense, SB 116 adopts a strictly defined, limited “users pay” approach. Virginians who can renew vehicle registration by phone, mail, or online but who still choose to use the customer service center would have to pay a fee for the transaction. There’s an important exception, though. If one renews a vehicle registration at the same time he is performing a transaction that can be done only at the DMV, there is no extra cost.

Instead of having to pay more to cover the cost of complying with a new federal law, SB 116 gives informed consumers the ability to pay less. The bill keeps government costs down by reducing the number of times Virginians have to visit the DMV. And, by implementing a policy that emphasizes cost savings and improves efficiency — for a government agency — quality customer service and value for taxpayer dollars can be achieved simultaneously. That is very good news for consumers, taxpayers, and government.
Ryan McDougle is a Republican who represents Virginia’s 4th Senate District, which includes Caroline, Essex, Hanover, King and Queen, King William, Middlesex, and part of Spotsylvania counties. He may be contacted at district04@sov.state.va.us or (804) 730-1026.