If you have not renewed your license recently, you may be surprised. Missouri has raised the price for renewing driver’s licenses, permits, and vehicle plates. The new prices became effective on August 28, 2005.
What Is This?
Beginning Thursday, August 28, drivers will pay more at the license bureau. A new state law comes into effect, raising processing fees for vehicles and trailers. Â Vehicle registration processing fees will also rise by $3.
Renewing one’s license or permit will also go up. The cost of renewing a driver’s license for six years, which previously totaled $39, including a $12 processing fee, has increased to $45.
Reasons?
Many small license offices do not make enough money to stay open. Others close due to no one wanting to work the office. One example is the Willow Springs office which closed in May. No one put in a bid to operate it. Missouri DOR explained that the fees collected are used to hire staff and pay for supplies necessary to ensure that Missouri’s DMV offices can continue to operate.
Lawmakers are hoping increased revenue will keep small-town license offices open. They also think that driving for 20 miles, as in the case of Willow Springs, is too far for license renewals.
Additionally,state officials say the additional revenue will help contracted license offices maintain full staffing, with the goal of reducing customer wait times.
