Online business surges 20.4%

More people are choosing to go online instead of waiting in line at the DMV.

Online business surged 20.4 percent during the first six months of 2009 as the Department of Motor Vehicles recorded 4.7 million internet transactions through June 30, 2009, the DMV announced last week.

"Customers plan their trips carefully and are opting in many cases to forsake a trip to the DMV and instead do business with us online," said DMV Director George Valverde. "We are constantly striving to add new features and encourage customers to take advantage of some of our more popular options."

The most popular business option - online vehicle registration renewals - totaled 3,213,660 from Jan. 1 through June 30, 2009, a 15.1 percent increase over the same period a year ago. The month of June also saw 671,356 online vehicle renewals, a new single-month record for this category which capped four straight months of at least 500,000.

Online driver license renewals for the six-month period ending June 30 totaled 473,078, a 32 percent increase over the 358,203 logged during the same time a year ago. Change of Address filings soared 18.3 percent, from 349,170 in 2008 to 413,246 through June 30, 2009.

Online filings of Notice of Release of Liability (NRL) jumped 45 percent during the first six months of the year compared to 2008. In addition, the month of June saw 91,114 NRL filings, the largest single-month increase since the DMV began tracking this category in 2007.

Don't Stand In Line, Go Online! Doing business with the DMV has never been easier. The DMV offers an array of services to customers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week through its Web site (www.dmv.ca.gov), including online appointments for written and drive tests; vehicle registration and driver license renewals, selection of personalized license plates, changes of address and payment of fees via secure debit transactions.

DMV is a department under the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency, which is under the direction of Secretary Dale E. Bonner. The DMV licenses drivers; maintains driving records; registers and tracks official ownership of vehicles and vessels; investigates auto and identity-related fraud; and licenses car dealers, driving schools, and traffic violator schools.

Online business surges 20.4%