State to scrap MNLARS, move on to privately developed system

MINNESOTA (FOX 9) – Minnesota officials say they will make an estimated $73 million move to scrap the state’s troubled vehicle licensing and registration system — MNLARS — and move on with a privately developed software system.

After an independent review of the MNLARS system, officials recommended that the state move onto an outside vendor. The review was headed by Rick King, a Thomson Reuters executive.

Under the recommendation, MNLARS would continue to be updated through June, when it would be frozen in maintenance-only mode as a transition to a new software system happens – a transition that could take 16 months.

King also said Minnesota drivers will not notice a difference over the next 18 months before the state’s new privately developed software will be ready.

“The news today should not come as a surprise to anyone. Problems have been prevalent since the system was lunched on July 24th of 2017. Over $100m poured into the development of MNLARS – not to mention the cost to our local deputy registrars – with little to show for the money. Although it is extremely frustrating to write off that large of an investment as simply sunk cost, for the sake of our state, it’s necessary to move to a proven platform. I have always believed we needed to move to a private solution and support today’s decision by the Governor,” Republican State Sen. Mark Johnson of East Grand Forks said in a statement.

“I’m committed to fixing Minnesota’s Vehicle Licensing and Registration System. That’s why I reached across the aisle to bring people together to find a solution. Minnesotans don’t care how they get their license plates or tabs, they just want them on time and error-free. My administration will continue to make state government as efficient and accountable as possible,” DFL Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.