Rhode Island DMV will send collection agency to recoup license debt

Rhode Island residents who wrote delinquent checks to the state DMV will have two weeks to resolve their issues before being turned over to a debt collection agency, according to the Providence Business News. The Rhode Island DMV has accumulated nearly $1 million in bad checks for license and registration payments, due almost entirely to closed accounts or insufficient funds. The department will send out more than 500 notices over the next several weeks to recoup monies owned. "This effort will not only generate money owed to the state but will also ensure that vehicles are properly registered and drivers are issued the appropriate credentials to safely operate a motor vehicle," Lisa S. Holley, DMV interim administrator, told the news source. Debt collection efforts will not stop at letters - the media outlet reports that the department won't hesitate to seize license plates as well. According to the Providence Journal, the average wait time at the DMV is approximately three hours. Governor Lincoln Chafee made a request for funds to hire approximately 25 more workers earlier this year, but only received enough to employ two. Despite the setback, Holley still hopes to handle all transactions within one hour by the end of the year.