RICHMOND, Va. -- Virginia drivers who buy a new car may soon have to pay twice as much in DMV fees for their vehicle title.
The news didn't sit well with DMV customer Aymen Sheikhidris, who said the increase was too much.
"I expect they might add five percent 10 percent maximum something reasonable, but double, 100 percent? We already have got enough expense in our life," Sheikhidris said.
The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles faces a $16.4 million budget shortfall.
"Because of our growing costs and mandated expenses, those are outpacing our revenue," DMV spokeswoman Brandy Brubaker said.
To close the gap, Brubaker said the agency cut costs internally, but they still have a shortfall.
So, the agency is considering these customer fee increases: doubling the title fee from $10 to $20, raising the driver's license fee by $1.25 per year, or increasing the registration fee by $3.
"We are always reluctant to increase rates or adjust rates but sometimes you need to since some of these haven't been adjusted since the 1980s," Brubaker said.
Still, every customer interviewed said that any new fees would be difficult to swallow.
"I think they need to restructure the budget so they can balance it without having to kill people on the fees," customer Patrick Llewellyn said.
"This is going to add extra expense to my business," Sheikhidris said.
The DMV said no changes will happen until the General Assembly meets next year.
