Gov. Mark Sanford announced Thursday a series of changes at the Division of Motor Vehicles aimed at shortening lines and improving service. Legislative leaders back the changes, as they finish work on a bill to restructure the DMV to make it a stand-alone agency directly accountable to the governor.

One change is allowing customers to take care of some of their transactions over the Internet. On June 8, DMV will start allowing drivers to check their driving record and point status, complete a pending registration (including paying late registration penalties) and pay drivers license reinstatement fees online.

Gov. Sanford says, "When you talk about web-based transactions and the ability for the first time to do some of these things without taking a drive down to the DMV office, you really begin to talk about saving people’s time."

On June 18, DMV will expand its web offerings to include renewing an ID card, obtaining a duplicate drivers license and obtaining a duplicate registration card. On June 30, you’ll be able to renew your drivers license, change your address or change the registration address for a specific vehicle online.

The DMV will also start offering expanded hours June 7 and throughout the summer at some locations. Six regional offices will be open on Saturdays: Florence, Aiken, Irmo/Ballentine, Greenville 63, Charleston Leeds Avenue and Rock Hill-Newport.

On May 28^th, the DMV will close all of its offices statewide and bring all employees to Columbia for a training session focused on quality services and excellent customer service skills. But won’t closing all DMV locations for an entire day cause a backlog when they re-open? Gov. Sanford says, "If we don’t get our systems right and in place and get everybody clear about our objective and how we’re going to get there, what we will have is a backlog over the summer."

Some of the other changes at the agency will save about $2.5 million. DMV expects to save about $2 million next year by decreasing its commitment to long-term contractual services for the operation and maintenance of its information technology system, and assuming those responsibilities in-house. The agency also plans to partner with the Department of Corrections, with inmates doing some maintenance work, saving $500,000 a year.

The South Carolina House has already passed the bill to restructure the agency. Sen. President Pro Tem Glenn McConnell, R-Charleston, says he expects the Senate to take up the bill when senators finish work on the budget.