Web-Based Drivers’ License Renewal May Be Coming

The state of Washington, home to Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.com and considered one of the most digitally advanced states in the country, has passed the 1 million mark in electronic transactions on its Web site, and plans next to allow citizens to renew their drivers' licenses online. According to an account today by the Associated Press, Gov. Gary Locke and Fred Stephens, director of the Department of Licensing, are asking the state legislature to allow online and by-mail license renewal for motorists, at a startup cost of $400,000. State officials figure they can recoup the cost in administrative savings. If legislators give the green light, the service will start next fall. The secure system would rely on a digitized photo and signature of motorists, who would still be required to get every other license renewed in person to allow for fresh photos and to check eyesight. Washington drivers' licenses are valid for five years. Citizens already can perform such online transactions as replacing lost drivers' licenses, applying for business licenses, reserving campsites, and paying business taxes. The popularity of these any-time transactions is gaining momentum. Over the past two and a half years, the state's Web site saw 500,000 transactions in its first 24 months, but has processed another 500,000 in just the last six months. The site's address is www.access.wa.gov.