Vermont DMV centralizes dealer oversight, expands fraud detection and dealer services

Lieutenant Jeremy Desjardins, section chief of the Vermont DMV Enforcement and Safety Business Services Unit, told the House Transportation Committee on April 17 that the agency has centralized dealer licensing and investigations into a new Business Services Unit and has expanded audits, outreach and fraud detection tools.

Desjardins said the unit, created in July 2024, combined dealer processing, field inspection and enforcement work and established a dedicated phone line and a single processing location so dealers reach a live, knowledgeable person rather than being routed through multiple offices. "I created a 1 stop shop," Desjardins said, adding that dealers "love it" and that the unit has cut processing times from "2 to 4 week[s]" down to "0 to 5" days at the maximum backlog.

Why it matters: Vermont licenses about 567 dealers of various types, and dealer filings account for substantial daily revenue to the state. Desjardins told the committee that some dealers submit hundreds of thousands of dollars in tax and fees in a single month and that improved processing and auditing helps ensure the state receives correct payments and reduces ripple effects when paperwork is lost or delayed.

Key elements of the Business Services Unit

- Centralized dealer processing: Desjardins described a supervisor-led processing team of about eight staff who handle dealer paperwork and an embedded…