Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Dmv Operations topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
DMV says digital license wallet not part of FY26 rollout; voter registration and Lake Elmore racing jurisdiction questioned
Summary
During the Feb. 11 House Appropriations hearing, committee members asked DMV Commissioner Andrew Collier about whether the modernization would enable a digital driver’s license wallet, the status of voter registration at DMV for non‑Real IDs, and the department’s role in policing vehicle racing on Lake Elmore ice.
At a Feb. 11 House Appropriations Committee meeting, committee members questioned Department of Motor Vehicles officials about operational services that could change with the FAST modernization and about jurisdictional questions raised by constituents.
Digital license wallet: Representative Jim Harrison asked whether the modernization’s second phase would allow Vermonters to store license information on their phones as a digital wallet. Commissioner Andrew Collier said several other states have begun offering a digital driver’s license that can present limited data to different audiences (for example, law enforcement versus a bar). “That is something law states have. The law states are moving that direction. Currently, that's not something we're working on as far as this rollout,” Collier said. When asked whether a phone photo could serve as a recognized Vermont ID, Collier said, “You can take a picture of your own license and have it in your your photos. So it's not a… It's not a Vermont recognized form of ID currently.”
Voter registration: Committee members asked whether DMV still provides voter registration when customers apply for REAL ID. Collier confirmed that customers can still register to vote when they sign up for REAL ID and said DMV is exploring options to bring registration online for the department’s roughly 24,000 non‑REAL ID holders; he said he had not heard of problems with the existing registration process during his tenure.
Lake Elmore racing jurisdiction: A committee member raised constituent concerns about people driving on the ice at Lake Elmore and asked whether DMV has enforcement authority. Collier described the situation as legally “muddy,” saying the unposted state highway default speed limit is 50 miles per hour and noting limits to enforcement where a roadway is unposted. He referenced “a section that deals with racing... on 23” that pertains to racing only when two vehicles compete against each other and indicated single‑vehicle maneuvers present enforcement challenges. A committee member asked to share the commissioner’s email address so constituents could follow up; Collier agreed to engage on the issue.
Ending: DMV officials said the topics raised—digital IDs, voter registration for non‑REAL IDs and safety/enforcement questions—are areas for further conversation as the modernization proceeds. No formal committee action was taken on these service or jurisdiction questions.
