Revenue Department’s Customer Service Commitment Means No Office Visit This Year for Disabled Hangtag Holders

        JEFFERSON CITY – Every year thousands of disabled Missourians have taken trips to their local motor vehicle license office to renew their disabled placards, or "hangtags", so they may continue to use convenient parking options. This year, the Missouri Department of Revenue has made the renewal process easy – so easy, in fact, there’s nothing to do.

        Instead of mailing a renewal notice to holders of disabled placards, this year the department is simply mailing the renewal placards to customers, letting those who depend on the placards say goodbye to visiting their license office to obtain the free hangtag.

         As a result of legislative changes, anyone renewing a disabled placard this year is not required to visit a license office. Office visits will only be required every four years when a physician’s statement is needed.

         "I have directed state agencies to find innovative ways to enhance customer service to all Missourians," said Gov. Matt Blunt.  "It just makes sense to minimize the burden for disabled Missourians by making it easier for them to obtain the hangtags they need.  This service is an example of how we can help the disabled through common sense, compassionate initiatives."

         "It makes sense to find creative ways to improve service to our customers," said Revenue Director Trish Vincent. "This year, instead of sending out nearly 180,000 renewal notices and creating that many trips to a license office, we’ll send the placards directly to our customers’ mailboxes – no paperwork, no special visit required."

         Dan Card, chairperson of the Governor’s Council on Disability and principal drafter of the 2004 bill requiring placard holders to recertify their eligibility through physicians’ statements, applauds the efforts of the department. "The department is taking steps that simultaneously minimize bureaucratic red tape and ensure that hard-fought efforts to reduce placard fraud continue to be successful."

         The hangtags are scheduled for mailing July 25.  To allow the department sufficient time to process returned mail it is recommended that hangtag owners who have a hangtag expiring in September, 2007, wait until September 1 to contact the department if they have not received their new hangtag in the mail. If the hangtag is no longer needed, customers are asked to return the hangtag to the address on the envelope.