Don’t Stand In Line At Your State’s Department Of Motor Vehicles

It’s amazing what you can do by simply getting online these days. You can shop for insurance quickly and easily at InsWeb, you can make purchases to have delivered directly to your home, you can pay bills and view account balances. But many drivers may not realize that you can also do a lot of the things online that you used to put off until the last minute because of the long, painful, waiting time that used to be involved when you do them in-person. What are we talking about? Your state’s department of motor vehicles or transportation. Yes, it’s true! You can do many of the things you used to have to do in person right at your state’s website.

Here’s a list of just some of the common things you can do conveniently at your state’s website (remember, departments of motor vehicles or transportation differ from state to state, so check your state’s website to see what it offers in the way of online services):
Order special license plates. At California’s website, for example, you can order (and pay for) a sequential plate (where you can choose a special background and receive a random license plate number) or a personalized plate (special background and a customized license plate number).
Make appointments if you need to go in to your local Department. You’ll always get faster service if you make an appointment instead of just going in and waiting in line. Now you can make appointments conveniently online.
Renew your vehicle’s registration. If you don’t need a smog test or to provide proof of insurance (or if you have already provided these but have not yet paid your registration fee) and you have a major credit card, you can usually renew your vehicle’s registration online. You can also renew your boat, ATV, motorcycle or snowmobile’s registration online.
Renew your driver’s license. In order to renew your driver’s license online, you have to be the person named on the license, not have a change of address (although some states allow you to change your address information online), have received your renewal notice, have your social security number available, and have a major credit card. You also must not be required to come in in-person to take a vision, written or driving test.
Check your information. Many state’s websites will allow you to check the status of the paperwork that your state’s department has on you. By entering your driver’s license number, you can check whether your driver’s license or insurance information is up-to-date in the department’s records, or whether they have received recent updates you have sent in. Some state’s websites also allow you to review your driver history online.
Learn about driving schools in your state. You can check the status of licensing information on various driving schools located in your state.
Register to vote. Many states offer links to your state’s Elections and Voter Information websites, where you may register to vote online.
Handle your traffic citations online. Traffic citations are handled by the county you received the citation in, so if that county allows online payments, you can often find links to do this on your state’s website. Some states also offer the ability to check to make sure the state has received your completed traffic school information.

These are just some of the things you may be able to do online at your state’s department of motor vehicles or transportation website. Check your state’s website for more information. Be a responsible vehicle owner by keeping your driver’s license, registration, and insurance information up-to-date. And lucky for you, this has been made easier by the internet!