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Motor Vehicle Division says CARS rollout cut wait times, asks for funding to support county operations and system maintenance
Summary
State Motor Vehicle Division officials told the Section D subcommittee the replacement CARS system reduced wait times and improved processing; they requested ongoing maintenance funding and one‑time county support for scanners, mini‑computers, paper and toner ahead of the vehicle titling and licensing rollout scheduled for March 17.
Montana’s Motor Vehicle Division told the Section D subcommittee on Wednesday that its CARS replacement project has markedly reduced customer wait times and will move to its vehicle titling and licensing module on March 17, 2025. Division staff requested funding to support system maintenance and county partners during the transition.
MVD Administrator Laurie Bockery and Attorney General Austin Knudson credited the replacement of the legacy Merlin system with shorter lines, more same‑day service and improved examiner productivity. Knudson said “ding dong Merlin is almost completely dead,” and Bockery said average in‑office wait times fell from about 22–27 minutes to roughly six minutes after initial rollouts.
Department and legislative fiscal staff outlined follow‑on funding requests. The division seeks approximately $900,000 over the biennium to cover additional programming and maintenance costs for CARS, and requested $400,000 to subsidize county partners’ transaction costs (paper, toner and related supplies). MVD staff said counties will receive scanners and a mini computer for every service window so county offices can process transactions electronically and scan title paperwork immediately into the system.
Legislative fiscal staff also described a proposed fund switch (DP 904) that would move roughly $2.5 million in appropriation authority from general fund to a Real‑ID state special account that has accumulated about $8 million in balance from Real‑ID fees. Analysts warned the account averages about $1.9 million in annual revenue and that future authority should be aligned with expected receipts.
MVD described additional post‑CARS projects that will require funding: National Registry 2 for CDL medical certification; a mobile driver’s license product targeted for September 2025; and electronic vehicle title and registration (EVTR) functionality that will move titling to an electronic, interstate‑compatible workflow. Staff said these projects will improve turnaround times and reduce lost paperwork.
Committee members asked for a concise timeline and cost summary for modules and post‑rollout work. Bockery agreed to provide a schedule and said the agency will monitor county support needs and adjust reimbursement assumptions based on actual transaction volumes after March 17.
No formal action was taken during the hearing. MVD staff said they will continue county training, deploy kiosks and maintain daily monitoring of wait times and transaction throughput.
