HELENA – The Montana Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) has served over 75,000 customers since the launch of the new driver services system in November, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen announced today. Same-day appointments are available at most exam stations across the state for Montanans who cannot complete their appointment online. Previously, it could take almost two months to get an appointment.
The new system increased the number of online services offered and significantly decreased the overall appointment times for customers, expanding in-person appointment availability across the state. Since the implementation of the new Credentialing and Registration System (CARS), MVD has served 76,349 customers, including over 58,000 appointments and over 18,000 walk-ins.
“The new system has far surpassed our expectations. At most exam stations, Montanans can walk in without an appointment and be done in about 10 minutes,” Attorney General Knudsen said. “I’m proud of what MVD has accomplished and the excellent customer service our examiners are providing to make everyone’s MVD experience as pleasant as possible.”
“The results following the transition have been overwhelmingly positive,” MVD Administrator Laurie Bakri said. “We are making it easier than ever for Montanans to take care of their business at MVD. On January 1 alone, a day that MVD offices are closed to the public, 77 customers were able to complete their transactions online – just one example of how we are moving to make MVD a user-friendly experience.”
Nearly one-third of the customers served were able to complete their transaction online. Online transactions at MVD have increased by 750 percent and appointment times have been cut by 68 percent. Customers also receive their credentials within seven to ten days compared to the four to six weeks with the previous system.
Efficiency has improved for in-person visits as well. The time between a customer entering and exiting any given exam station has decreased from an average of 22 minutes to less than seven minutes per transaction. The wait time to schedule in-person appointments has gone from an average of 48 days to less than two weeks, with many locations having next-day availability. In the state’s larger offices, availability for written-test appointments or driver examinations has decreased 92 percent, from 79 days to six. For individuals needing to renew their driver license or ID card in person, wait time has decreased 93 percent, from 45 days to three.
CARS is part of a multi-phase, multi-year effort to improve customer service and efficiency for Montanans at MVD exam stations across the state. The third phase, which is expected to launch in March 2025, will overhaul the title and registration process, improving functionality for law enforcement, car dealerships, insurance companies, and simplifying county operations.
