Montana Implements New Motor Vehicle Title and Registration System

Acting Motor Vehicle Division Administrator Brenda Nordlund said that barring any unforeseen technical difficulties, a new title and registration system for the Motor Vehicle Division will be brought up throughout the state this week.

The new system was developed as part of the MERLIN project – Montana Enhanced Registration and Licensing Information Network. The Montana legislature approved and funded the project to replace a system that was essentially unchanged since the early 1980s. The new computerized process for titling and registering vehicles is a major piece of a fully integrated system that will eventually tie all motor vehicle and driver licensing services to common customer accounts.

Staff from county treasurers’ offices and the Department of Justice, especially the Title and Registration Bureau in Deer Lodge, will be completing the final preparations for the switch from the old system to the MERLIN system on Monday, April 20 and Tuesday, April 21. Some county treasurers’ offices may also need to limit service on the afternoon of Friday, April 17.

“With the introduction of any new system, there is a transition period,” Nordlund said. “As a result, services in county treasurers’ offices may be disrupted and lines longer. I would ask our customers to be patient those days and, if possible, to plan any title and registration services they need on a different day.”

Additional information on the MERLIN Project and related efforts can be found on the Department of Justice Web site, www.doj.mt.gov/driving/merlinproject.

Source: AG