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DMV and county assessors prepare
to update vehicle registration and titling system

If you visit the DMV at ITD headquarters right now, you’ll quickly see it is all hands on deck getting ready for the GEM Vehicles launch. After this weekend, Idaho’s vehicle registration and titling will operate on a new computer system. It’s the third phase of the DMV’s modernization project, moving from a 1980s mainframe to the updated GEM system.

For months, the DMV modernization team has been testing the system, making sure it operates well for county assessors and DMV offices. The long awaited “go live” is scheduled for this Columbus Day weekend (Oct. 10-12) to minimize impacts to the public at county DMV offices.

“We anticipate a smooth transition,” DMV Administrator Alberto Gonzalez said. “State and county agents are testing and training now in preparation.”

During the three-day weekend, the DMV will integrate millions of DMV records into one program, resulting in a “one person, one record” system. This means each Idahoan will now have one record with both their driver’s license and vehicle registration/title information on it.

“The one person, one record will reduce transaction times at DMV offices, and help county agents and law enforcement correctly identify Idahoans and vehicle ownership,” Gonzalez said. “It also paves the way to the future, allowing us the ability to eventually offer more online services to Idaho drivers.”

Training with county DMV offices began last spring, and continued this fall, both virtually and in-person. Now staff in all 44 Idaho counties have experience using the new system. County agents ask for patience and understanding from customers in October, as wait times could be longer while they become more comfortable processing transactions.

The DMV modernization effort is an ongoing process. The disabled parking placards program was moved to the new system in 2017, and the driver’s license program in 2018. This latest phase — transitioning vehicle registration and titling — does not depend on a third-party vendor.

DMV’s online services will be temporarily out of service while the transition takes place over the weekend. But starting again on Tuesday, drivers are still encouraged to skip the DMV line, and go online to renew their vehicle registration. For more information and resources, visit dmv.idaho.gov or call the DMV Customer Contact Center at 208.334.8000.