New study finds most state departments of motor vehicles don't offer full services online
Three out of four state motor vehicle agencies do not offer people the
opportunity to conduct DMV business online, according to a study released
Thursday by Andersen Consulting.
At the end of last year, when the study was conducted, 13 states offered
online transactions, nine accepted online vehicle registration and seven
allowed people to order license plates electronically.
The study found Internet transactions save the government money. A typical
online transaction costs 10 to 40 cents to process, while a traditional
office visit costs $40 to $400, according to the study.
The study gave the motor vehicles departments of Massachusetts and Virginia
kudos for being progressive. In Massachusetts, drivers can go online to pay
fines with a credit card, handle registrations and buy special license
plates. In Virginia, people can go online to file changes of address,
create or buy a license plate, get an identification card, replace a
driver's license, renew registrations, request an administrative hearing
and order a copy of their DMV record.
"While significant room for improvement exists, some states do get it,"
said Stephen Rohleder, Andersen Consulting managing partner responsible for
the USA Government practice. "In our e-world, those governments that do not
migrate in this direction will be left behind."
The 47 state motor vehicle agencies that have created a World Wide Web site
use it to disseminate general information about agency services. In Iowa,
Kansas, Minnesota, Mississippi, New Hampshire, New Jersey and North Dakota,
that is the motor vehicle agency Web site's sole purpose. Thirty-nine
states allow customers to download motor vehicle forms, providing
instructions for their manual completion.
Delaware, Hawaii, Kentucky and Rhode Island did not have motor vehicle
department Web sites.
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