It’s frustrating to try and renew an Indiana registration online and finding out that it can`t be done at all. The site says it can be renewed before the expiration date, but this is not always the case. A problem can come up for a number of reasons, and calling for assistance won’t help. If you can’t renew your Indiana registration over the Internet, customer service won’t be able to renew it either.
Read on to find out possible reasons why an Indiana registration can’t be renewed online. You will have to visit a BMV office, but this will explain why the problem might have occurred. Although it might not make sense in the long run, the BMV has rules that must be followed – even if they do nothing more in one of their offices than you could have done at home.
You Can Renew the Registration Online Before the Expiration Date
When trying to renew an Indiana registration online and hitting a brick wall, take a look at the expiration date. If the registration has expired, you will have to take the time to visit an Indiana BMV in person. The site does not have the capability to calculate and add penalty fees. Part of the punishment is having to go into an office, even though nothing other than penalty fees will be required to renew the registration.
Does the Last Name on your Driver’s License Match the Registration?
Has your last name changed since the registration was last renewed? If your current last name does not match your driver’s license, it can’t be renewed online or by phone. This is because the renewal date has changed, and the system is not set up to recognize the difference.
Always Update the Registration if your Last Name Changes
I couldn’t renew my Indiana registration online or by phone. At the time I updated my driver’s license several months prior at the Crown Point office, I was told that I didn’t have to renew the registration even though I was willing. They used the excuse that it would cost money, and I would have to do it again anyway. I thought they knew what they were talking about, but in hindsight they were busy that day. They apparently didn’t want to take the time to make the change. In the end, I didn’t save anything. Having to go back was a major inconvenience, and it cost gas and a lot of valuable time.
A Complete Waste of Time and Money
Although the Crown Point Indiana BMV employee didn’t do anything that I couldn’t have done at home or by phone since all she did was collect my money, I was forced to physically go to the office. They didn’t require any new information. In the end, four months was shaved from my renewal because of my last name change, but all I saved was four dollars. One dollar a month was far less than I was paying to register my vehicle each year, but that is all they gave back for the difference. Too bad my last name went from beginning with an R to a G. The letter Z might have been advantageous, but like everything else, I’m sure the scale set up to benefit the state rather than the resident.
Dealing with a Grumpy Crown Point Employee
To add insult to injury, even though I was very polite, this particular woman in the Crown Point Indiana office was as cold and as rude as could be. She was probably used to irate people questioning why they had to come back when they could have updated the registration at the time the driver’s license was renewed. They had every reason to be irritated. Their demands made absolutely no sense, but lashing out at her wouldn`t have solved the problem.
I considered the source and didn’t say a single unkind word to this unpleasant woman. Although the other Crown Point BMV employees had smiles on their faces and seemed to be happy and kind, she was the definition of the stereotypical BMV employee. If I can’t renew my registration online in the future, I will drive out of my way to Valparaiso to avoid that crabby woman that gives the BMV a bad name.