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* Press release…
Secretary of State Jesse White announced today that his office has reinstated the mailing of vehicle registration reminder notices to Illinois drivers. To offset the cost of the mailings, White is drafting legislation allowing his office to offer advertising space on the mailings. In addition, White is urging the public to sign-up for email notices to further reduce mailing costs.
The Secretary of State’s office discontinued mailing reminders in October 2015 due to the lack of funding as a direct result of the state budget impasse. The stop-gap budget recently passed by the legislature and signed into law by the Governor allows White’s office to reinstate the notices.
“The notices are an essential tool for the public to be sure their vehicles are in good standing and avoid paying late fees and fines resulting from tickets issued by law enforcement,” White said. “The driving public paid the price for the budget impasse and it proved to be an unfair burden. With the funds from the stop-gap budget the notices will resume. In addition, we are reducing the number of mailings and seeking alternative funding sources for the postage costs.”
“Although we are now able to reinstate mailing the vehicle registration reminder notices, I continue to strongly urge motorists to sign up for email reminders,” said White. “Saving taxpayer dollars is always a priority of our administration.”
White noted that more than 2.3 million people have registered for the email notification, 800,000 of which signed up since October 2015.
The SoS was spending $450,000 a month on the reminders before they were discontinued.
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 11:33 am
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Glad to see he is looking to reduce the cost burden to the state/taxpayers at least. Perhaps those who do not sign up for email simply pay an extra dollar per year “convenience fee?”
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 11:37 am
2.3M out of how many total? is that 10%, 25%?
Comment by Mattman Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 11:38 am
Why not make an announcement to all drivers that snail mail reminders will be cutoff as of a date certain. Ideally one year from now so everyone gets a final mailed reminder.
Then, you save over $5 Million per year.
There’s a budget cut most of can agree to.
Comment by Jake From Elwood Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 11:47 am
Jake +1
Unless they call (to request snail mail), let this be their final reminder.
Comment by Jocko Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 11:55 am
no problem paying for it - we already have…..
From Jan. 1 through June 20, 2015, 214,467 drivers were charged the late fee, bringing in nearly $4.3 million in revenue to the state. During the same period this year, the number more than doubled to 476,551 drivers, bringing in $9.5 million.
Comment by Remington Rick Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:07 pm
get rid of the paper even with adds, but create an easy to use portal where people can log in online to check status and renew. scrap the pinc codes etc…. after all who probably not a lot of criminals looking to break in and pay for a new sticker for you
Comment by Ghost Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:08 pm
Can we assume the ads will not be from other state agencies/programs? That would be kind of self-defeating state budget wise.
Comment by Bogey Golfer Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:11 pm
The sticker on your plate is a reminder in itself. The date is right there. Plus, people can receive email reminders. I could be out of touch, and I probably am, but the amount of attention this issue has garnered baffles me.
Comment by Checkers Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:11 pm
Serious mistake. Folks were adjusting to the new reality. He could have instead repurposed the $6M toward something more geared toward helping social services within his agency.
Can’t believe they’re going backwards.
Comment by A guy Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:11 pm
I had no idea you could get email reminders.
Comment by ChicagoVinny Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:15 pm
It is nice to see Jessie White is stepping into the 21st century, with this announcement. Why doesn’t the SOS office institute an automatic op-in policy on email notifications? This is common practice in many businesses. Instant savings in mailing cost and personnel costs. The SOS office should have launched online renewals 10 years ago. No wonder the State of Illinois is broke. And some people get upset, when they hear run government like a business. Hello! There is lots of savings running certain things like a business.
Comment by Apacolypse Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:19 pm
It was a painful learning curve for some right off the bat (myself included), but people have adjusted. Stay with the times and keep it all electronic now. Anytime someone registers their vehicle from now on, they should need to sign up for electronic reminders.
Why step back and become more inefficient? If they want advertising revenue, then allow companies to have an advertisement on the email that goes out. Otherwise it is just wasteful spending.
Comment by SKI Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:25 pm
So many people forget that state government serves the entire state. Improving service os more than “that’s a good idea, let’s do that.” Changes have to account for everybody, including the old, the poor, and others on the opposite side of the digital divide. In this way, government cannot be run like a business. Government faces higher accountability.
Comment by Anonymous Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:29 pm
Internet renewals have been available for years. Email reminders have been available for a few years. This was widely discussed, especially last October when renewal reminders were stopped. Countless newspapers, television and radio news clips also.
Comment by Thoughts Matter Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:32 pm
Remember that the people least likely to be digital are also least likely to own a car (anymore).
Comment by Redbright Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:43 pm
I have bought my stickers on line for years. Coming from a Southern Illinois Redneck with limited computer skills. Also get my hunting and fishing license the same way.
Comment by Nieva Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:50 pm
Will they promise not to sell my email address?
Comment by Shemp Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 12:50 pm
Failure to be in emissions-compliance can go so far as to affect the validity of one’s driver’s license. Has the mailing of those reminders resumed? I know the reminders mentioned in the post are higher-profile, but…
Comment by Independent Retired Lawyer Journalist Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 1:05 pm
We’re past the hump and now people are getting used to setting up their own reminders or using email. Why start this back up? I’d rather see a $5 or $10 fee if you elect to receive a reminder by mail. Otherwise, you can check your own stickers or you can set up a paper or electronic calendar reminder.
Comment by Fairness and Fairness Only Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 1:06 pm
This is one service that should not have returned. To me this is wasted money. If you are too lazy to walk to the back of your car and see when your sticker expires then you deserve your late fee.
It’s the 21st Century. Any reminders I get for anything are either texted to me or e-mailed to me. Time for everyone to catch up with the times.
Comment by Demoralized Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 1:07 pm
Redbright, I’m not sure that’s true. It seems to me the people least likely to own a car are urbanites in their 20/30s who bike to their jobs at Google or simply work from home or a desk in a shared office environment.
Comment by Cheryl44 Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 1:22 pm
- Independent Retired Lawyer Journalist -
If you sign up for email reminders, it will tell you if you need to get your emissions checked when you log into the site using the PIN provided. Also, the DMV will not allow you to renew (in person or online) without having a valid emissions check. So even if you did not have email reminders and did not get the mailer, the DMV will be able to see in their database if your emission check is up to date and if not, they will turn you away until you get it completed.
Comment by SKI Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 1:29 pm
Cheryl44 - you reversed my argument. First they are not on the Internet; then they don’t have a car….because they are so elderly.
Comment by Redbright Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 1:57 pm
Ski, I take it, then, that you don’t know whether the Secretary of State [there is no ‘DMV’ in Illinois], or the folks who run the emissions program, have resumed snail-mailing emissions-test reminders?
Comment by Independent Retired Lawyer Journalist Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 2:34 pm
Only the people who do not sign up for Internet reminders should receive a written reminder.
Comment by Mama Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:46 pm
Nope. I can neither confirm or deny that they will start sending the notice to get your emission test completed via snail mail.
BUT AGAIN, it is kind of a moot issue. You don’t have to worry about being in emissions-compliance as long as you renew your tabs within the designated time period. The Secretary of State (got it right this time) will not give you new tabs unless their database shows that you have a current emission test. If one does not renew your tabs, I would guess that 99% (yes, a statistic pulled out of thin air) of the time that person also did not complete an emission test. They go hand and hand.
Mailing these emission test reminders out via snail mail would be another waste of money in a state strapped for cash.
Comment by SKI Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 3:54 pm
Nice to see an elected official take the high road for a change. Here’s a suggestion; rather than mail reminders, why use a robo-call to cell or home phone. The onus should be on the car owner and not the SOS.
Comment by WETHEPEOPLE Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 4:41 pm
Got my renewal notice in the mail today. That was quick!
Comment by South Illinoisian Monday, Aug 1, 16 @ 5:50 pm