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Michigan license kiosks top 1 million served

Quick-and-easy license-plate renewal kiosks in Michigan recently hit the 1 million served mark.

June 29, 2011 by Christopher Hall — w, t

Every car owner in Michigan – and probably every car owner in most states – has to get their license plates renewed every year – picking up that little sticker or tab to affix to the plate that lets passing police officers know that it's not past due.

And since 2005, more than 1 million Michiganders have used self-service kiosks to more quickly and efficiently take care of what is generally a routine and mundane task.

More than 1 million time-saving license plate tab renewal transactions have been performed on Secretary of State self-service kiosks since the program began just over six years ago, Michigan Secretary of State Ruth Johnson announced earlier this week. (In the state of Michigan, the Secretary of State's office covers the functions of a DMV, or Department of Motor Vehicles, in most states.)

"We're quite proud of that, because that's 1 million transactions that aren't occurring at the counter," Fred Woodhams, spokesman for Secretary of State Johnson said today. "First of all, and most importantly, that's more convenient for our customers because they don't need to get a number and they don't need to wait in line. Generally at the kiosk there is no line."

Secondly, though, transactions via a self-service station are less expensive on a per-transaction basis than a transaction conducted at the counter with a branch clerk, Woodhams said.

"It's really just more cost effective, and that allows us to devote resources to other things, and certainly it frees up our branch staff to devote more time to customers who have more complicated transactions," he said.

"The self-service stations at the present time to do one thing, and that is the tab renewal, and that's the most common transaction that we do."

On the ATM-style machines, drivers can follow the touchscreen directions and scan the bar code on their license plate renewal notice. Once the information and credit card are verified, the Self-Service Station prints a vehicle tab and receipt for the customer. Single transactions can usually be accomplished in less than two minutes.

"The Self-Service Station program has been very successful in providing convenience to branch office customers who need to renew their license plate registration," Johnson said in the announcement. "This is good-government technology that makes doing business with the state faster and easier, and its popularity continues to increase."

For the second month in a row, and third time in four months, the number of transactions on the kiosks set a new record for the program, which began at the end of March 2005. In March 2011, transactions reached an all-time high of 34,087. That number has since been surpassed by 37,786 transactions in May and more than 39,000 so far in June.

There are currently 73 Self-Service Stations in operation at branch offices and other locations across the state, including municipal buildings, and more than half of the kiosks are accessible 24/7 in vestibules at the front of the branch offices.

"People can, we like to say, 'skip the trip,' and they just scan, pay and go," Woodhams said.

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