McAuliffe announces innovations available at the Department of Motor Vehicles

Governor Terry McAuliffe announced today that the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) will become the first motor vehicle agency in the nation to offer Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Pre✓® and Transportation Worker Identification Credentials (TWIC) at select DMV customer service centers.

Governor McAuliffe also highlighted a variety of other innovative partnerships and initiatives being implemented this summer at DMV, including new online discounts, a simpler method to renew expired driver’s licenses, additional knowledge exam languages, and the expansion of a program that allows high school students to take the learner’s permit knowledge exam in the classroom.

Legislation sponsored by Delegate Lamont Bagby of Richmond and signed by Governor McAuliffe, effective July 1, enabled DMV to partner with TSA contractor MorphoTrust to offer TSA Pre✓® and TWIC in Virginia.

“Making government services easier to access for taxpayers is a key part of improving the customer experience at agencies like the Virginia DMV,” said Governor McAuliffe, speaking at today’s event. “Expanding these federal credentials at DMV locations will save taxpayers time and money, and adds to the list of things they can do conveniently with one easy stop. From making vital records like birth and death certificates available to offering new electronic voter registration services, the Virginia DMV is a model in government customer service that we are working to implement throughout all state agencies in Virginia.”

“Efficient government improves the everyday lives of Virginians. DMV taking the initiative to offer these new federal services is just another way that Virginia stays ahead of the curve and will continue to do so in the future,” said Secretary of Transportation Aubrey Layne.

Beginning today, customers can conveniently apply for TWIC and TSA Pre✓® credentials at DMV’s Richmond Central Customer Service Center, 2300 West Broad Street, Richmond.

By the end of 2016, DMV will also offer these services at its customer service centers in Newport News, Roanoke, Tyson’s Corner, Abingdon, Charlottesville, Fredericksburg and Leesburg, and its motor carrier service center on Interstate 81 in Stephen’s City. DMV’s Williamsburg Customer Service Center will be added to the slate next year.

DMV’s TWIC and TSA Pre✓® sites will supplement TSA’s current locations in Virginia. Currently, customers can obtain TWIC or TSA Pre✓® credentials at 2002 Bremo Road, Richmond; 2021B Cunningham Drive, Hampton; Victory Crossings Shopping Center, Portsmouth; 895 Poplar Hall Drive, Norfolk; 144 Business Park Drive, Virginia Beach; and Alexandria Commons Shopping Center, Alexandria.

In addition, customers can obtain TSA Pre✓® credentials at Richmond International Airport, Reagan National Airport, and Dulles International Airport. For more information or to schedule an appointment, visit www.tsa.gov/precheck orwww.tsa.gov/for-industry/twic.

TWIC provides access to secure areas of the nation’s maritime facilities and vessels. TSA Pre✓® offers expedited security screening for travelers departing at select airports across the United States.

By increasing access to enrollment services, DMV adds convenience for its customers, in particular, frequent air travelers and trucking companies that require TWIC for their drivers.

“We are always looking for new ways to help our customers get the most out of their interaction with their DMV. The demand for these federal credentials is high, but, access may not be convenient for all Virginians. Now, customers who live in every corner of the Commonwealth will be able to apply for TWIC or TSA Pre✓® much closer to home,” said DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb.

“We are excited to partner with the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to bring important enrollment services to the citizens of the Commonwealth,” said Bob Eckel, CEO of MorphoTrust USA. “As the first state to sign on to offer TSA Pre✓® and TWIC directly in DMV customer service centers, Virginia DMV will further its one-stop-shop philosophy and better meet the needs of their customers.”

Other DMV initiatives announced Thursday include:

 

Additional Online Discounts

House Bill 417, effective July 1, gives eligible customers another discount for conducting certain transactions on dmvNOW.com. A $1 discount is available for online driver’s license or ID card renewals, duplicates and reissues, as well as title replacements. Since July 1, about 20,000 customers have already received these new discounts. More than 40 transactions are available on dmvNOW.com, giving customers convenient, 24/7 access to many popular DMV services.

 

Online Legal Presence Certification

Certain customers whose Virginia driver’s licenses and IDs have expired within the past year will soon be able to make their credentials current without leaving home, thanks to a new legal presence verification option to be launched later this summer on DMV’s website, dmvNOW.com. Currently, customers with an expired credential cannot renew that credential online unless they’ve previously verified their legal presence in person at a DMV customer service center. Using the NAPHSIS Electronic Verification of Vital Events (EVVE) system through DMV’s website, customers can verify their legal presence electronically and then immediately renew expired credentials online – saving them a trip to DMV and freeing up DMV employees to serve other customers.

Customers commonly use a U.S. birth certificate or passport to prove legal presence, which simply means a person is a U.S. citizen, legal permanent U.S. resident, or is legally authorized to be in the country in one of the eligible immigration statuses outlined in Virginia Code. Since 2004, all customers applying for a Virginia driver’s license or ID have been required to show proof of legal presence. Customers who got a license or ID prior to 2004 may never have proven legal presence at DMV.

 

Driver’s License Data Verification Service

Later this summer, DMV will begin participating in the Driver’s License Data Verification (DLDV) service, developed by the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.

This service helps businesses cut down on fraud by verifying the authenticity of credentials presented by customers. It also will enable Virginians who need a replacement Social Security card to apply for one on the Social Security Administration’s (SSA) website, eliminating the need to travel to an SSA office. As a result, this facet of DLDV saves time for DMV customers who need a Social Security card to get a driver’s license, for example.

 

Learner’s Permit Testing in the Classroom

DMV’s program giving students the opportunity to take their learner’s permit tests in their schools instead of at DMV is gaining momentum with expansion into nine school divisions across the Commonwealth. A partnership with the Virginia Department of Education, this web-based technology enables students to access the knowledge test in a proctored classroom setting, saving them – and their parents – a trip to a DMV office.  Active locations include Bristol, Culpeper, Cumberland, Fairfax, Henrico, Madison, Russell, Scott, and Shenandoah, with more in the works for the new school year this fall.

 

New Knowledge Exam Languages

Customers can now take driver’s license knowledge exams in three new languages at all DMV customer service centers and mobile offices – Japanese, Dari and Chinese-Mandarin traditional. The agency now offers driver’s license, motorcycle license and commercial driver’s license knowledge exams in 23 languages, including American Sign Language.