Thursday, August 3, 2000
Mayor Williams Calls Digitized Licensing Another Customer Service Milestone
(Washington, DC) Mayor Anthony A. Williams announced another step forward in his commitment to provide better customer service at the Department of Motor Vehicles with the announcement of digitized licensing.
"Instead of standing in line – which isn't so bad, now that the lines are shorter – the DMV can use your stored picture and signature to renew your license and order new tags on the Internet," said Mayor Williams. "We're showing our citizens that our agencies can improve if we adopt a can-do attitude, support our employees, and – most importantly – hold ourselves accountable to the public."
The Mayor unveiled the new technology at an event held at the headquarters of the Department of Motor Vehicles, where he was joined by the agency's Director, Sherryl Hobbs Newman, who guided the creation and implementation of this latest DMV customer service advancement.
The value of digitized licensing was also touted by Assistant Police Chief William McManus, who oversees the operation of the First, Third and Fifth Police Districts. The city's new driver's licenses, akin to those issued by surrounding jurisdictions, feature digitized signatures on a solid pad maintained in an electronic file. The driver's photo image and signature remain on file with the agency. This makes it possible for future permits to be reissued without a visit to a DMV service center.
Mayor Williams pointed out that this new service now joins a strong contingency of improvements his administration has made on the road to impacting service delivery at this essential government agency, where residents have complained for years about long wait times for services.
Earlier this year, Mayor Williams announced that for the first time, residents may use the Internet to renew their vehicle registrations, download DMV forms, and to obtain detailed information. Approximately 7% of vehicle renewals are being done over the Internet. Two months ago, he presided over the opening of a new DMV satellite operation at RFK Stadium. This new facility is viewed as another step in helping to reduce wait time at service centers.
Meanwhile, another satellite operation is slated to open in the near future in the Georgetown section of the city. In addition to remaining open to 8 p.m. on Wednesdays at the agency's main office at 301 C Street, N.W., a new express service center has been created and is in operation at that location. The average wait time is well below 30 minutes for such services as driver's license renewal, for replacement licenses, and to obtain a replacement or duplicate vehicle registration. The express center also is available for residential parking permits.
