OCTOBER 4, 2006

Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land today announced that car buyers can enjoy the convenience of driving off the lot with new license plates and registration tabs in place, under a program with participating auto dealers.

The Dealer Direct program gives vehicle buyers the ease of one-stop shopping at new car dealerships. Participating dealers can issue new plates and tabs on site, saving customers a return trip. It also eliminates the need to wait for new plates and tabs to arrive by mail. Vehicle titles can be processed at the dealership as well, though they will still be mailed by the Department of State.

"Car buyers are always looking for a bargain," Land said. "Dealer Direct is an exciting feature that makes their car shopping experience even more enjoyable. Customers will love the convenience of titling, plating and registering their vehicles on the spot. This also allows dealers to offer a unique dimension of customer service. I appreciate the support of Michigan’s auto dealers in launching this program. It’s just one more way that the Department of State is making customers’ lives easier."

Dealer Direct is voluntary. Dealers may charge a $24 fee for the service. In addition to faster, on-site registration and titling transactions, other program benefits include:

• Easily calculating taxes and fees for titles, registrations and permits so that customers can see the total cost of their purchase.
• Fewer dealer title and registration transactions that need to go to a Secretary of State office, which speeds up service for other customers.
• Improving service efficiency for customers and participating auto dealers.
• Giving dealerships a convenient option to enhance customer satisfaction and finalize transactions.

The Dealer Direct concept had been considered by the department for more than 10 years, though it stalled due to cost and technology issues. Upon taking office, Land explored alternatives that resulted in a successful pilot program with interested dealers last year. Nearly 20 new car dealerships across Michigan are participating. Thirty-one more are expected to be up and running in the coming months and about 120 others have signed up.

The Michigan Automobile Dealers Association shared its expertise with the department during the program’s development. It is enthusiastic about the opportunities for dealers and their customers, according to Terry Burns, executive vice president.

"Michigan’s new vehicle dealers are always looking for opportunities to better serve their customers," Burns said. "The new program allows participating dealers to offer another level of service to customers who would enjoy the convenience of electronically titling, registering, transferring and plating their new vehicle."

Participating dealers use software provided by CVR, a company specializing in computerized vehicle registration systems. CVR currently serves 20 other states in addition to Michigan.

Visit www.Michigan.gov/sos for more information about other Department of State programs, services and requirements.