Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land welcomed The Hartford and its affiliates as the latest insurance companies to participate in Michigan’s Electronic Insurance Verification (EIV) program, which enables vehicle owners to renew their registrations by Internet, phone or Self-Service Station.

“This partnership with the Hartford means tens of thousands more customers will be able to skip the trip to a branch office and enjoy the convenience of renewing their registrations using one of our alternate methods,” Land said.

The Hartford and its affiliates insure 75,000 vehicles in Michigan, which brings the total number of vehicles in the department’s EIV program to nearly 7.4 million, or roughly 80 percent of the total number of vehicles registered in the state. With the addition of The Hartford, the 20 largest insurance companies in Michigan are now participating. Overall, approximately 60 companies are in the program.

Participating companies electronically submit Vehicles Identification Numbers (VINs) of insured vehicles as proof of vehicle insurance rather than paper certificates. The EIV program was launched in 1997 and later expanded to include motorcycle registration renewals.

Upon receiving the VIN of an insured vehicle from an insurance company, the Department of State adds the VIN and the date received to its insured vehicle file. When issuing notices to customers eligible to renew their vehicle registrations, the department matches their VINs against the file and assigns a 9-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN) for vehicles with insurance. The PIN enables the owner to renew registration on the vehicle online, over the phone or at one of the 55 Self -Service Stations the department operates across the state.

Each month, approximately 100,000 customers renew registrations with the Department of State online, 15,000 do so at a Self-Service Station and 9,000 renew over the phone.

Land said anyone who is not receiving a PIN on their renewal notices should check with their insurance company to see if it is participating in the program. The department encourages nonparticipating companies of any size to join.

The Hartford is based in Connecticut. Participating affiliates include Hartford Fire Insurance Co., Hartford Accident Indemnity Co., Hartford Casualty Insurance Co, Hartford Underwriters Insurance Co, Twin City Fire Insurance Co., Hartford Insurance Co. of the Midwest, Trumbull Insurance Co., and Property and Casualty Insurance Co. of Hartford.

For more information on Department of State services, visit the department Web site at www.Michigan.gov/sos.