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New OMV title, registration system combats fraud;
complies with federal regs
The second component of the Modernization Program for the Office of Motor Vehicles (OMV) - the Vehicle Title and Registration System - is now up and running.
(The first part of the program was introduced last year with the launching of the Digital Drivers Licensing System that complies with federal regulations and the Real ID Act).
Fred Scanlan, project manager for the Department of Public Safety’s OMV systems, said that the basis of creating the new system is to be in compliance with a mandate set out by Congress in 2005 and later ruled upon in January 2008.
He said the two new programs implemented by OMV are merging standards under the Real ID Act, which places the territory at a level of 85% compliance. The Real ID Grant was a collective effort of the American Samoa Homeland Security Advisory Council for the OMV project enhancement.
Scanlan, who is part of the team that writes grant proposals for OMV systems, said that a grant proposal was submitted two weeks ago and, if approved, will implement new changes and place American Samoa at 100% compliance with the recent ruling by Congress, known as Section 37.
“First and foremost, the American Samoa Government has to agree to be in compliance,” Scanlan said. He added that this is something that has to be discussed with the Governor and the local Legislature.
The deadline to be in compliance is May 2008 but American Samoa has been granted an extension until December 2009.
Meanwhile, the new Vehicle Title and Registration System is now servicing the territory. The new system meets current territorial regulations and guidelines established by the non-governmental organization of the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators.
OMV general manager Marie Ripley said that the new system will make counterfeiting and fraudulent activities more difficult.
“The new program allows for computerized data to be collected and stored in the system,” Scanlan explained, adding that this is the first time a system like this has been available in the territory.
The new system will connect to the national level, meaning Vehicle Identification Numbers (VIN) and updated information like where the vehicle came from and who it belongs to, will be accessible with the push of a button.
“Basically, we will have available to us the entire history of the vehicle,” Scanlan said. He said there have been some issues involving people duplicating forms in the registration process, as prior to the arrival of the new system, forms were generally typed out on pieces of paper that could easily be copied and forged.
“The new system will definitely eliminate possible fraud,” Scanlan said.
The new system integrates demographic information, driver licensing, and vehicle registration into one reliable and secure system. It also provides law enforcement and the courts with instant access to accurate information for the first time.
OMV’s new vehicle titling and registration system, as well as the digital driver licensing system, were provided by WEI, Inc., based in Old Saybrook, Conn.
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