Revenue Department details motor‑vehicle changes after new laws, adds donation option and online tools

A representative of the Georgia Department of Revenue updated the committee on implementation of recent state laws and on technology projects to improve motor‑vehicle transactions.

The Department of Revenue representative said the agency implemented House Bill 409 to add insurance information and notification capabilities to the existing school‑bus/school‑zone portal. He described House Bill 935, which created a voluntary "back the blue" donation option tied to vehicle registration renewals; the department has augmented in‑person, online, dealer and ETR processes to accept the donation and reported collecting more than $44,000 since implementation in January.

The representative also described House Bill 1100 changes that allow companies with large fleets (over 100 vehicles) to renew vehicles and trailers in bulk online and a clarification on government vehicle plates. On county interactions, the department implemented a DRIVE API that allows counties' chosen credit‑card vendors to interface directly with state systems; 28 counties had been implemented at the time of the briefing.

Department staff described customer‑service improvements: an upgraded ticketing system that sends text notifications to customers waiting for in‑office service and automated post‑service surveys, which the department said increased survey response rates and helped raise customer‑satisfaction scores. The department also presented data showing a shift away from in‑person renewals since 2020, with an increase in kiosk use and online renewals.

Planned projects for fiscal 2025 include a "My NVD" customer portal to allow verified customers to request replacement electronic titles, report vehicle sales and perform title transfers between account holders. The department said a future objective is to keep electronic lien titles (ELTs) electronic during refinance events and to participate in national AAMVA work on interstate electronic title transfer standards.

The representative said a new "check my purchase from a dealer" online inquiry debuted to allow purchasers to see where a dealer ETR transaction stands (pending, finalized, plate mailed, waiting on dealer images) and that the department hopes the tool will reduce calls to county offices and the state call center.

When committee members praised DOR staff for responsiveness, the representative acknowledged assistance from Assistant Deputy Commissioner Francis Watson, Chief of Staff Austin Gibbons and Legislative Director Joe Snowden and said the department will continue rolling out the planned online services and county integrations.