CONCORD — New, slightly bigger motor vehicle registrations with bar codes on them will soon replace the current registrations that have been around for at least 20 years.
Starting today, the Division of Motor Vehicles headquarters in Concord will begin issuing the new registrations using brand-new printers. By September, all DMV substations and town and city clerk offices will be equipped with the new printers and tied into the DMV computer system, said Jim Van Dongen, a spokesman for the state Department of Safety.
While it won't change much for the general public, it will speed up the process of getting registrations for people in towns and cities that aren't connected to the computer system, which includes Nashua and Manchester, Van Dongen said.
In addition, the new registrations will have scannable bar codes on them to help police and motor vehicle inspection stations, which currently have to input registration information manually, Van Dongen said.
The need to replace outdated printers was the reason for the upgrade, he said. A $344,500 federal grant will pay for 564 new printers at the Concord DMV offices, all DMV substations, and all town and city clerk offices.
"For the general public, the biggest advantage will be that the procedure for them will be about the same," Van Dongen said. "It works pretty well now and it's not going to get any more complicated. But the internal changes that occur as part of the new system will benefit taxpayers by allowing more DMV employees to provide direct customer service instead of entering data."
Currently, several DMV employees in Concord have to enter data mailed to them from cities and towns that aren't online, which increases the time it takes for residents to get their new registrations. Under the new system, all town and city clerks will be connected directly to the DMV computer system, Van Dongen said.
Windham Town Clerk Joan Tuck said she's not really sure what impact the new system will have on her office. She expects to get three new printers.
While Tuck said she hopes the new system is better, she said she has no problems with the way registrations are processed now.
Local police say the scannable registrations will have some advantages, but it will mean spending money to buy bar code readers in order for them to use them.
Pelham police Lt. Gary Fisher, Windham police Chief Gerald Lewis and Salem Deputy Chief William Ganley all said it's a luxury they can't afford right now.
Currently, registration information has to be manually typed in to the computer system, which takes a few minutes for each motor vehicle and is subject to human error, Lewis said. Scanning the new registration bar codes would speed up the process and eliminate human error, he said. But it would also involve spending money for new software and for the bar code scanners, which cost $100 each, Lewis said.
Derry police Capt. Vern Thomas said he believes the bar codes would be a bigger benefit to motor vehicle inspection stations than for police. He said he's not sure if the software used by the Derry police department would even be compatible with the bar codes on the new registrations. But he said it's all brand new and he will keep an eye on it to assess the bar code benefits.
"This major project is scheduled to be fully implemented by September," said state Commissioner of Safety John Barthelmes. "It will help our DMV staff provide faster, more efficient service to our customers."
The Granite State has 1.4 million registered motor vehicles. The new registration process will be used for all passenger cars, motorcycles and trucks, including commercial vehicles.
