Report Blames 2 State Agencies for Botched MNLARS Launch

ST. PAUL (AP) -- Minnesota's legislative auditor says two state agencies must share the blame for the troubled rollout in 2017 of a new driver's license and vehicle registration system.

A report released Thursday says the $100 million and nine years devoted to developing the MNLARS system should have been sufficient to successfully complete the project. It blames leaders at the Department of Public Safety and Office of Minnesota Information Technology Services.

But the report says many factors, not just a single person or decision, contributed to the botched launch.

It says the problems started early with a private vendor that was terminated for unsatisfactory work. The agencies then decided to build MNLARS in-house, but the report says they failed to take sufficient steps to ensure that the large and risky project would succeed.