Full Report (PDF) - Office of the Legislative Auditor

BackgroundCHAPTER!Minnesota uses a state-regulated system of public and private deputy registrarsto title and register motor vehicles and watercraft, renew drivers'licenses, and register snowmobiles and all-terrain vehicles. This chapterdescribes the deputy registrar system in Minnesota. discusses the methods weused in this study, and compares Minnesota's system with systems in other states.We address the following questions in this chapter:• How does Minnesota's deputy registrar system work? How doesMinnesota regulate deputy registrars?• How do other states register and title motor vehicles and renewdrivers'licenses? Do they use public or private agents in theirsystems?• How do other states regulate private agents? Can private agents inother states sell the right to process motor vehicle and driver's licensetransactions?ooHow do Minnesota's administrative fees compare with those of otherstates?How do other states use technology to register and title motor vehicles?MINNESOTA'S DEPUTY REGISTRARSYSTEMMinnesota has 168 deputy registrars that provide vehicle registration, title, and licenseservices. By law, all deputy registrars register motor vehicles, watercraft,snowmobiles, and all-terrain vehicles, and process title applications for motor vehiclesand watercraft. In addition, county court administrators have appointed 81deputy registrars as agents to process driver's license and permit applications.Many deputy registrars also sell other licenses, such as fish and game, bike, orcross county ski licenses.