State lawmakers are moving forward with a bill that will require residents to have auto insurance in order to purchase an auto tag, but some fear the new rule will cause unintended problems.
State Rep. Kenneth Walker, who voted against House Bill 319, is among those with concerns.
“This system is supposed to be computerized, and the state has apparently invested money in that program,” Walker said. “However, there are problems with this bill that may have some bad consequences. For example, if a person somehow gets dropped out of the computer system, even if they have insurance, the tax collector will be required to turn them away with no tag.”
Yazoo County Tax Collector Travis Crimm Jr. also has reservations about the change.
“What’s going to happen is that the Department of Public Safety and the insurance companies are going to relay all of the information to the Department of Revenue,” Crimm said. “If the system shows that they can have a tag, they can get one. I will have no control over it if the system says someone cannot get a tag. There will be no way to override it.”
House Bill 319 will require proof of liability insurance before renewing an auto tag. It does not apply to new tags.
Mississippi has had a compulsory auto liability insurance law since 2000, but it has not been as effective as lawmakers expected. Some studies estimate as much as 30 percent of drivers in Mississippi are uninsured.
Beginning in July, law enforcement officers will have another tool to help identify uninsured drivers. The Legislature passed a law in 2012 requiring the Department of Public Safety to create the computerized Mississippi Vehicle Insurance Verification System. It will allow law enforcement officers to check the status of a driver’s insurance on site during a traffic stop.
Requiring insurance in order to get a tag will make it much easier for law enforcement to identify uninsured drivers.
“It gives an officer a reason to pull someone over to investigate,” said Jack Willingham, a veteran law enforcement officer. “You can’t just guess that someone doesn’t have insurance while they’re driving down the road. It will help enforce the law.”
Crimm said he fears it will also result in more cases of stolen tags.
“I think we’re going to start seeing some tags disappearing,” Crimm said.
“You’ll have to weld your tag on your vehicle,” said District 4 Supervisor Jayne Dew.
“They’d just steal the sticker,” Willingham said.
Crimm said that although he understands the reasoning behind the law, he hopes the consequences aren’t worse than the benefits. He said the new rules will likely put a strain on his office.
“It’s going to fall on our office,” Crimm said. “I will be on the front lines with that.”
Crimm said the change may cost the county some tax revenue as well as some people who can’t afford insurance or just refuse to buy it simply won’t purchase car tags.
“It could cost the county some money,” Crimm said.
County tax collectors are expected to be connected to the state system by the end of the year, and the law would go into effect in 2018.
