Instead of going to the DMV, Connecticut residents are now taking advantage of online services, with more than 130,000 transactions completed

Jessika Harkay, Hartford Courant
·2 min read

More than 130,000 DMV requests and transactions have been completed remotely since the department began offering online services, Gov. Lamont announced Tuesday afternoon.

“Two and a half years ago I said ‘No more in line, online,’ and not a moment too soon because, you know, about a year later we’re saying ‘Stay home, stay safe,’ ” Lamont said. “Everybody’s ready to get back in person. ... But, not everybody’s ready to get back to the DMV in person.”

How successful has the transition online been?

Over the last year, there’s been more than 131,846 online DMV transactions throughout the state, officials announced.

Since January, more than 85,300 online renewals were completed compared to around 60,300 in person.

More than 22,000 of the online requests were for address changes from March through May. By comparison, slightly more than 7,500 of the same requests were done in person.

“The number of transactions that are being completed online so far clearly demonstrate that our residents want their interactions with state government to be simple, convenient, and available online, just like they would expect in the private sector,” Lamont said.

What online transactions were added this year?

The additional services residents can now do online include:

  • License and non-driver ID renewal.

  • License and non-driver ID duplicate requests.

  • Driver history requests.

  • Vessel registration renewal.

  • A commercial vehicle operators (CVO) portal that serves as a one-stop shop for CVOs.

  • A commercial driver’s license (CDL) medical certificate portal that gives CDL drivers the ability to upload their medical certificates drivel to the DMV’s Driver Services Division from their mobile devices.

What else is going to be added in the next few months?

“We’re going to continue to expand the online driver and vehicle services to include disability placards, renewal of CDL driver’s licenses, as well as help 18-year-olds as they get from their learner’s permit to their driver’s license,” DMV Commissioner Sibongile Magubane said.

The DMV is also looking into developing their “One Stop Shop,” application, which will “deliver the customer experience through registering in MyCT.Gov,” Magubane added.

The application will allow DMV employees to directly communicate with residents about registration that may be expiring or outstanding infractions.

“A lot of ... citizens are frustrated when they come to the DMV to perform a transaction and they end up being turned away because they have insurance compliance issues,” Magubane said. “Roughly 30% of citizens get turned away, so our hope is getting closer to our citizens, telling them what they need to bring to us in order to really do their transaction in one visit.”

Where can I find a full list of online services?

Visit https://portal.ct.gov/DMV/Online-Services/Online-Services.

Jessika Harkay can be reached at jharkay@courant.com.