The Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) has recently garnered national recognition for its customer service, receiving top rankings in an analysis of branch Google reviews. However, this positive assessment is tempered by the agency's ongoing practice of selling personal data belonging to Hoosiers.
Indiana's 84 BMV offices collectively averaged 4.16 stars in Google reviews, surpassing the national average of 3.8 stars. The Scottsburg branch notably achieved the highest score in the state at 4.60 stars. Even Indiana's lowest-rated branch, Batesville, with 3.53 stars, still outranked 694 other BMV offices across the country.
In addition to its high service marks, the BMV also announced a significant revenue stream from its popular 'blackout' license plate. In the year since its launch, the minimalist black plates with white numerals have sold over 380,000 units, generating $12.9 million for the agency. The BMV plans to allocate this revenue toward a five-year modernization program, which includes the development of an AI chatbot, digital driver's licenses, and improved tracking software.
Despite these successes, the BMV continues a long-standing practice of selling Hoosiers' personal data. This data includes names, addresses, dates of birth, vehicle make and model, plate numbers, Vehicle Identification Numbers (VINs), purchase dates, driver records, and license types. The practice generates approximately $26 million annually for the agency. This information is sold to various entities, including attorneys, towing services, debt collectors, insurance companies, and auto dealers.
One review highlighted the impact of this practice, criticizing the agency after a vehicle was tagged, leading to the immediate receipt of "junk mail" listing the new car. Lawmakers in recent years have worked to protect Hoosiers' data in the private sector but have declined to extend similar protections to BMV data, refusing to implement an opt-out provision available in other states.
This current standing marks a significant shift from the agency's challenges in the early 2000s. In 2006, then-commissioner Joel Silverman resigned from the BMV after closing 20 license branches with minimal community or legislative input and overseeing a computer overhaul fraught with failures. Silverman also removed clocks from branches in an attempt to downplay transaction times. While some tactics were unpopular, the network changes were eventually completed, and Silverman initiated customer satisfaction surveys, which an analysis suggests laid the groundwork for the agency's current status.
Looking ahead, the source material suggests the BMV could dedicate at least half of the revenue from the blackout plates to offset the $26 million generated by data sharing. It also suggests lawmakers should be urged to ban the practice of selling private data by 2027.
