Arkansans are experiencing a few hiccups when renewing their car tags online as a result of a service provider for many counties being hacked last year, Scott Hardin, spokesman for the Department of Finance and Administration, said Tuesday.  

The state’s 2.7 million passenger vehicles are required to be assessed at the county level before they can be renewed at the state level each year. As a consequence of the hacking of Apprentice Information Services of Rogers in November, many counties’ computer systems were unable to provide online services, according to reports from KAIT-TV in Jonesboro to the Texarkana Gazette. The county computer systems are still unable to communicate with the state’s computer systems, Hardin said. 

Pulaski County, the state’s most populous, is among the counties impacted by the security breach, Hardin said. 

The county systems have not been linked back up to the state’s computer system to ensure there’s no chance the state’s computer system could be made vulnerable to hackers. 

As a workaround for the online car tag renewals, the state is allowing residents unable to renew online to call the Department of Finance and Administration’s motor vehicle help desk to explain the situation. The help desk can override the requirement to assess the vehicle before renewing with the state. The help desk will notify the county that the vehicle has been renewed but has not been assessed, Hardin said. 

“We want to be sure Arkansans understand vehicle renewal remains available both in person and online,” Hardin said via email. “However, for customers using the online option, one extra step (calling or emailing to request an override) may be required for those in counties affected by the security breach.”

An assessment is an owner’s declaration of personal property to the county so that property taxes can ultimately be paid on the vehicle, Hardin said. 

The issue only impacts online renewals. Arkansans who prefer to avoid these hiccups can still physically go to a county assessor’s office for assessment and one of the 134 state revenue offices for renewal. 

Hardin said the department recommends car owners try to renew online first. If…