The Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) and the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH) are pleased to announce an interagency project to develop an integrated information technology system that will streamline the processes for motor vehicle related hearings and will improve driver safety in Maryland.

The MVA and the OAH have been working together over the past several years to develop an interface that will allow cases to be sent electronically between the MVA and the OAH. The new interface will replace the current manual process where paper cases are physically transported between MVA and OAH.

This new system will provide the administrative law judges with real-time access to a petitioner's driving record during the hearing process and allow hearing decisions to be posted real time to the individual's driving record on MVA's database. The real time data will prevent individuals whose driving privilege is suspended or revoked from fraudulently obtaining a driver's license within Maryland or another state licensing jurisdiction.

John Kuo, MVA Administrator stated, "The development of this new automated system is another important step forward in driver safety for the State of Maryland. As we move forward with our technology advancements, we continue to strive for the highest measures to ensure driver safety and document security for Maryland and its citizens."

Because of the need to protect personal information and to ensure transmission of data within the secure MVA/OAH network, as the project is implemented motor vehicle hearings currently being conducted at sites external to MVA branch locations or the OAH facility in Hunt Valley will be discontinued. To accommodate this change, MVA has added two new hearing rooms.

On October 4, 2010, the new hearing rooms will be available in the MVA’s Waldorf and Cumberland branch offices. In addition to hearings held at the OAH in Hunt Valley, the following MVA locations will continue to be used for motor vehicle related hearings: Annapolis, Beltsville, Bel Air, Easton, Elkton, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Hagerstown, Largo and Salisbury offices.

Chief Judge Dewberry stated, "Through this joint initiative with the MVA, the OAH is pleased at the efficiency gains that will be realized, while still protecting the integrity of the hearing process and addressing public safety."

Once the agencies have completed the final stages of programming and the system has been fully tested, it will be piloted in Hunt Valley for a period of time and subsequently rolled out for use statewide. On behalf of Maryland and its citizens, the MVA and the OAH will continue to work together to improve highway safety and security.