Internet Explorer 11 is not supported

For optimal browsing, we recommend Chrome, Firefox or Safari browsers.

Minn. Drivers: You've Got Mail-- and More

Minnesota is reaping big savings from a new process for renewing auto registrations, but the change pushes the state into a new and controversial role of mailing advertisements to its customers.

Minnesota is reaping big savings from a new process for renewing auto registrations, but the change pushes the state into a new and controversial role of mailing advertisements to its customers.

The Department of Public Safety expects to save $220,000 a year by having a marketing firm called Imagitas print its registration mailings for Minnesota's 4.5 million drivers. In exchange, the company gets to insert coupons and product advertisements with the state's renewal notice and newsletter. The whole package is mailed in an official state envelope, with postage paid for by Imagitas.

That's not all. The state took its front-end savings on printing and postage and sunk them into technology to speed up the processing of renewals on the back end. The combined changes have not only cut the total time for registration renewal from 50 days to two weeks, but also allowed the department to redeploy five employees from back- office work to the front lines.

Critics, however, are uneasy about the state meddling in this type of marketing. For one thing, the government could be seen as endorsing certain products. And some residents complain that the state is sending out junk mail. In fact, a separate state agency, the Office of Environmental Assistance, runs an anti-junk mail campaign to help people stem the flow of unsolicited advertising.

To the public safety department, the savings are too good to pass up. If Imagitas turns enough profit on the advertising, a revenue-sharing deal kicks in that could mean thousands of additional dollars for the state. According to Brian Lamb, director of driver and vehicle services, complaints about the advertising have been minimal. "We clearly say on the envelope that just because advertisements are included in this package it doesn't mean the state is endorsing any product."

Special Projects