Using new media with the DMV
Engaging with Government — ugh! If you’re like me, you’d rather cover yourself with leaches, right? But we all use government services every day, whether we realize it or not.
This morning I shaved and showered using water provided by the Albemarle County Service Authority, a water and sewer utility. That water was heated by gas provided by Charlottesville Gas, a natural gas utility owned and operated by the City of Charlottesville and a Public Utilities Division of the city government. Later that same morning I drove to work on a highway built and maintained by the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and I tuned my radio to a station assigned by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). I won’t mention what agency inspects the food I ate, because I think you already get the idea — government services are a big part of our lives whether we realize it or not.
I’d like to share a story about a recent interaction I had with the government using a mix of both new media and old-fashioned face-to-face customer service.
Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles
A few months ago I purchased a new car and sold my old one. If you have ever owned a car, you know that you have to register it with you local DMV. Frankly, I wasn’t looking forward to a trip to the DMV, but I know from previous encounters that there are some transactions that can be done online. So I checked the Virginia DMV website to see what online services they offer, and I found that there are more than 30 transactions that can be completed online. Some services, like renewing a vehicle registration, are actually cheaper online; if you renew in person, you will pay an additional $5 fee for each vehicle registration renewal transaction.
Online Vehicle Services
- Vehicle Registration Renewal
- Insurance Verification
- Plate Purchase
- Registration Card Replacement
- Report a Vehicle Sold or Traded
- Title Replacement
Great! “Report a Vehicle Sold or Traded” is one of the online services, so I logged in, filled out an online form, and within 10 minutes, I had notified DMV that I sold my old car. No standing in line required. I was a happy man.
I also have custom license plates for my car, and I want to keep those old plates and use them on my new car. That, however, cannot be completed online. So it looks like a trip to the DMV is required after all.
Find a DMV Customer Service Center
The first step is to locate a DMV office. The Virginia DMV has a “Find a Customer Service Center” link to help you locate the closest office(s). Just enter your address and/or zip code, hit the “Search” button, and then you’ll be presented with an interactive Google map showing the closest DMV office(s).
Better yet, you can also click on individual locations to get a pop-up window showing hours and current wait times.
Visiting the DMV
Armed with office hours and wait times, I planned my visit and arrived 10 minutes before my local DMV opened on Monday morning. There I found 30 or so other early birds already waiting in line ahead of me. Good thing I came prepared and brought a book to read.
My story has a happy ending though. Since I was only there to transfer tags, I was shunted out of the main line to the express line. I transferred my license plates and walked out the door in less than 20 minutes. I was happy again!
Conclusion
Anyone who has spent all day waiting at the DMV will be happy to learn that many transactions can now be completed online. Some, like renewing a vehicle registration, are actually cheaper online than in person.
The My trip to the DMV is a great example of using new media — in this case the DMV website — to engage with government. I still won’t be Facebook friends with the Virginia DMV, but it’s a start.
