09/20/2016
Missouri State Auditor Nicole Galloway has released audits of eight license offices across the state. Most of the offices received an overall performance rating of good, with two offices receiving fair ratings and one office receiving an excellent rating, the highest rating available.
"From issuing license plates to processing driver licenses, vehicle registrations and car titles, license offices provide direct services to Missourians across the state," Auditor Galloway said. "That's why I'm pleased to share the results of audits that show how good management practices lead to efficient and effective operations in these facilities. Certainly, we did identify areas for improvement, but I am hopeful that these license offices, along with other offices across the state, will review these results in order to make improvements to protect public dollars and better serve citizens."
The most common finding among the license offices included concerns related to voiding transactions. When a transaction has to be voided after it is entered in the system but before payment is made, a supervisor is expected to review the canceled action and then, in some instances, the customer must sign a document acknowledging the transaction was canceled. In half of the offices surveyed, all necessary steps were not being taken. Other common findings related to accurately recording methods of payment and ensuring appropriate sales tax amounts were paid on vehicles registered through the license offices.
A summary of findings is included below, along with total donations collected by each office. State law allows license offices to collect donations for the World War I Memorial Trust fund, and for the organ donor and blindness awareness programs.
De Soto License Office (Jefferson County) Overall rating: Good
Total fee collections: $161,792 Charitable donations raised: $862
Concerns: Voided transactions, receipts not issued for some purchases See the full report
Grandview License Office (Jackson County) Overall rating: Fair
Total fee collections: $385,020 Charitable donations raised: $4,818
Concerns: Verifying sales tax amounts, voided transactions, recording payment methods, and inventory records See the full report
Marshall License Office (Saline County) Overall rating: Good
Total fee collections: $130,044 Charitable donations raised: $119
Concerns: Recording payment methods See the full report
Perryville License Office (Perry County) Overall rating: Fair
Total fee collections: $128,445 Charitable donations raised: $128
Concerns: Voided transactions, recording payment methods, verifying sales tax amounts See the full report
Salem License Office (Dent County) Overall rating: Excellent
Total fee collections: $102,800 Charitable donations raised: $41
Concerns: None See the full report
Savannah License Office (Andrew County) Overall rating: Good
Total fee collections: $142,436 Charitable donations raised: $1,168
Concerns: Voided transactions See the full report
Twin City License Office (Jefferson County) Overall rating: Good
Total fee collections: $230,404 Charitable donations raised: $1,234
Concerns: Inventory records See the full report
Warrensburg License Office (Johnson County) Overall rating: Good
Total fee collections: $258,520 Charitable donations raised: $9,315
Concerns: Verifying sales tax amounts See the full report
The Missouri Department of Revenue is responsible for selecting agents to operate the 177 contract license offices in the state. These offices process transactions related to driver licenses, vehicle titles and license plates. In 2009 state law was amended to allow the Missouri State Auditor's Office to audit contract license offices.
