Online license plate renewal should mean shorter lines

Our waits at the windows to renew our license plates are nothing like they are in bigger cities, at least judging by comedians' jokes about a visit to the DMV in places like Los Angeles or New York.

They're not even as long as they used to be in Nebraska when all of us had to renew our license plates at one time at the beginning of the year.

Still, it's not unusual to see the line snaking out into the hallway of the courthouse if we've waited until the last day to update our license plates.

The wait should be shorter thanks to a new online vehicle renewal services added to Nebraska's menu of e-government services. The Nebraska Department of Motor Vehicles Web site is at http://www.clickdmv.ne.gov

"We're always looking to expand our online services," Gov. Dave Heineman said. "With this service, Nebraskans can file their renewal paperwork online rather than waiting in line. Online motor vehicle registration renewal is one of the most requested services and I want to congratulate everyone involved for making this project a reality for the people of our state."

To renew your car or truck registration online, have handy your current vehicle registration slip or the renewal postcard you received in the mail, along with your bank or credit card information.

The online renewal process automatically checks the Motor Vehicle Insurance Database to verify vehicle insurance, and the entire process can be completed in minutes.

You can also use the Web site to order specialty plates, reinstate your driver's license and estimate your vehicle taxes. Driver's license renewal will be one of the next services to go online.

Officials are monitoring the program closely, looking for eventual savings in staffing and office costs.

You already can renew your Kansas automobile license online at https://www.kswebtags.org/, but in Kansas, they're called "tags" instead of Nebraska's "plates."

The DMV is only one area where there is a great potential for cost savings thanks to online services. The downside may be more impersonal interaction as more and more local governmental functions are moved online.

The trick will be to keep local government responsive while taking advantage of electronic efficiencies.