January 23, 2020
State Representative Doug Gutwein’s (R-Francesville) legislation that would save taxpayers millions of dollars by eliminating vehicle registration decals passed out of the House Roads and Transportation Committee Wednesday.
Each year, Hoosiers pay to renew their vehicle registrations and receive decals from the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles to place on their license plates. According to Gutwein, the production and postage to mail these decals cost taxpayers over $6 million annually. Conversely, he said after court costs, the state only collects $300,000 in fines from those driving with expired plates each year.
“The world is moving more and more toward electronic systems,” Gutwein said. “In Indiana, we already allow for liens and titles to be handled electronically and soon, Hoosiers could be able to carry their driver’s licenses on their mobile devices. Transitioning to an electronic system for registrations would not only make it easier for Hoosiers, but would also save taxpayers millions of dollars in the process.”
Under the bill, the BMV would be tasked with the responsibility of evaluating how they could make the transition to electronic vehicle registration by Aug. 1, 2020. They would then share this information with the Indiana Legislative Council, which is tasked with assigning topics for the General Assembly to study during the legislative interim.
According to Gutwein, the state police do not need these stickers to see if a plate is expired. Rather, they can get this information from running the plate in their computer system. He said three other states have already eliminated vehicle registration stickers and moved to electronic systems.
House Bill 1347 now moves to the House floor for further consideration. Visit iga.in.gov to learn more.