Virginia lawmakers hope to reduce long lines at the state’s Department of Motor Vehicles offices with a bill that would push back renewal dates for licenses and registrations and charge customers an extra $5 for showing up in person when they could use the Internet or phone instead.
The bill from Sen. Ryan McDougle, R-Mechanicsville, would add the service charge “if the transaction is one that can be conducted by mail, telephone or electronic means,” according to a summary.
It also would allow a driver’s license to be issued for as much as eight years, and a vehicle registration for five.
“It’ll substantially reduce lines and wait times at the DMV, not just a little bit, but a lot,” McDougle said Tuesday.
Under existing law, driver’s licenses must be renewed every five years, and registrations every two.
McDougle aims to take 2 million vehicle registration renewals out of service centers, which would save the DMV between $5 and $7 per transaction.
The bill passed the Senate 35-4 last week and was referred to the House Appropriations Committee Tuesday afternoon. A prior version of the bill died in the House of Delegates last session, McDougle said.
The bill would provide only a modest benefit to state revenues, according to a fiscal impact statement prepared by staff, raising a projected $15 million each year through fiscal 2013.
Sen. Chap Petersen, D-Fairfax, said the measure could create cost savings at a time when Virginia’s slowing economy has forced lawmakers to look for changes.
“We’ve got to be trying to save money wherever we can, and one of the easiest ways to save money is by expediting our payment process,” Petersen said. “In this case, if we can get people to pay by credit card or pay by mail and not come in and way in line, it’s a way of saving personnel costs.”
