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SALT LAKE CITY — Need a registration reminder? You better check online from now on because Utah’s Division of Motor Vehicles will no longer send in-mail reminders after this week.
The DMV’s decision to go paperless was made earlier this summer but goes into effect Sept. 1, so file this as a reminder that you’ll need to check your email inbox for future DMV registration reminders.
Monte Roberts, Utah’s DMV director, said the move was made because email reminders are more efficient, cheaper, and cut down on any waste of mailed postcards.
The decision was made as many government agencies across the state started cracking down on spending amid COVID-19 shortfalls.
Roberts explained the division isn’t required to send reminders to Utahns but did so for many years as a courtesy so people wouldn’t forget when their vehicle registrations expired. The agency also offered email reminders “for some time,” but the fiscal situation made DMV leaders feel like this year was the first time to transition to email-only reminders.
The switch to paperless reminders was expected to save the state close to $500,000 and cut an additional nearly $500,000 in expenses for Utah counties, Roberts said.
He added the July decision was met with mixed reactions, which is what was expected.
“I think with any change to what people are used to for a number of years, it takes some time to get used to those changes,” he said. “I think, obviously, those who are comfortable with (the old) process are maybe the most difficult ones who might struggle with it for a little bit; but, for the most part, if you look at the reasons behind it, it makes a lot of sense.”
The online reminder change affects operations run by the Utah State Tax Commission, which oversees vehicle registration, vehicle titles, license plates, and other functions. It does not affect driver's license and ID card renewal processes, which are overseen by the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Of course, switching to online-only services may impact those without computer or internet access.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, an estimated 94.4% of Utahns had access to a computer as of 2018. It also estimated 85.7% of Utahns had access to the internet. A 2018 report found that Utah was among the most connected states in the country, according to the Deseret News.
But based on a population estimate of 3.2 million residents, those numbers would still leave over 450,000 Utahns without internet access. With that divide in mind, Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall announced Monday the expansion of its new program to provide computer-lab and Wi-Fi access to the Rose Park and Glendale neighborhoods. The plan was to help address those without internet access in the state’s largest city the ability to take care of essential services, such as paying bills and catching up on important emails.
Roberts said there are people who do not have an email within their contact forms. Since it’s a courtesy service and there was a need for budget cuts, going paperless still provided the best immediate option; however, he said the DMV will look at possible other reminder options “down the road.”
In addition, he touted email reminders because they will still go to the right address even after someone moves from their physical address — one hindrance of the previous model.
“It will end up being a better option down the road, in the long term,” he said.
While they are separate entities, both the Utah DMV and DPS’s Drivers License Division have emphasized more online options in recent months amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Drivers License Division launched an online scheduler for people to set a time to visit a DMV location in a way that limits the number of people in the building and prevents the spread of the coronavirus.
The Utah DMV already offered several online services, which make it possible for people to avoid visiting the DMV for some tasks altogether. The agency began directing Utahns to those online options more this year because of the pandemic, Roberts said.
The agency allows people to do things like change their address, renew their vehicle registration, or report a sold vehicle through the internet at rex.utah.gov. The Utah DMV also has “On The Spot” inspection stations while people can renew their registrations. A list of stations can be found here.
"We’re going to continue to look for better means to provide service in ways that we feel that technology is there to help us do so,” Roberts said. “In recent months, it’s definitely been an emphasis to move transactions through (online services) and through 'On The Spot' stations that were still taking customers.”
