Adopted January 1985

The League of Women Voters of Indiana believes that any system for motor vehicle licensing should meet the following criteria:

Guidelines to establish standards for operation, including:

• Hours to be set (with allowance for varying needs of local communities in terms of density of population and life patterns).

• Method of collection. To the extent possible, within prudent business procedures, establish uniformity in regard to the use of checks, cash, and credit cards by license branch patrons.

• Employee compensation (wages and benefits).

• Accessibility to the vehicle license facility (including an accessible location of the facility and a uniform naming system for all facilities).

• Full disclosure of all collections and disbursements, including Bureau of Motor Vehicle fees, vehicle excise tax, and branch income funds.

• Periodic, timely, state-mandated financial audits conducted according to generally accepted auditing standards.

All funds collected by the license branch system should be deposited daily in state accounts at duly designated depositories. The allocation of funds should be administered according to state statutes. Any remaining funds should be returned to the designated administrative authority.

The League of Women Voters believes that the operation of the motor vehicle licensing system is a responsibility of state government and therefore should ideally be administered by the state. However, the League does not oppose a private, contractually based system structured to meet the criteria above. The League recognizes the need for some flexibility in administering a statewide service agency, whether operation is by the state or private contractor.