kevin_standlee | Government Inefficiency is our Best Defense

I have received a notice from the California Department of Motor Vehicles informing me that I don't have California insurance on my vehicle as required by law and that I must provide proof of insurance soon or face Dire Consequences. Of course I don't have California insurance on my vehicle — It's not a California vehicle anymore! When I bit the bullet and officially established Nevada residency, I got Nevada insurance, registered the vehicle in Nevada, and got a Nevada driver's license. California's automated systems noticed that I no longer had California insurance, but not that I'd re-registered my vehicle in Nevada (and I did have to tell Nevada all about my previous registration and surrender my California license plates), despite the claims that all of the various state computer systems are perfectly interconnected in a panopticon-like system where They Know Everything.

Although I'm annoyed that I have to write to them (in a paper letter; no electronic system, and the notice said the people in DMV offices know nothing about the automatic insurance-monitoring system), I'm oddly reassured that the system is so inefficient that they don't actually know that I re-registered my vehicle and became a Nevadan unless I tell them myself. And I wouldn't be surprised if they still end up sending me more dunning notices for which I'm not actually liable.