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Online Registrations
Texas Private Security Bureau Goes Electronic
As was announced in a previous newsletter, the DPS Private Security Bureau (PSB), formerly the Texas Commission on Private Security, has been in the process of working towards making renewals of registrations available on the Internet through TexasOnline, the Official Website of the State of Texas. In September 2003 the renewal of individual registrations on the Internet became a reality. To date, over 780 registrations have been processed online. There are a number of reasons that this method of renewal registration is the best way to renew your registrations. Here are a few of those reasons:
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For the licensee, it�s a service that is available 24 hours a day and allows renewals up through the last day before a license lapses without late fee penalties.
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The licensee is allowed to register a home address change at the same time as renewing their license.
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The licensee is also able to pay for their renewal using various types of credit cards (MasterCard, Visa, American Express, or Discover) and we are currently working to allow online payment by electronic check.
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A printable receipt is available to the licensee online showing the payment and date/time they successfully completed their renewal.
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The agency gets the renewal the next working day, meaning no lost applications or lost time in the mail. In the absence of errors requiring manual intervention, the information is automatically integrated into their licensing system so that it can be captured with fewer errors and they can process the renewals faster. With the recent state budget cuts and reductions in staffing at state agencies including the PSB staff, all automation like this becomes very important.
In an effort to increase participation in online renewals, the Private Security Board asked for feedback from the public attending its last board meeting. They were informed, by several speakers, of some impediments for usage of the system. The primary impediment cited was, that since many renewals are done by companies for their employees, the number of questions asked on the online form, versus the paper form, made it difficult for the company to gather that information from the licensee before renewing their license online for them.
To remove this particular impediment, PSB and TexasOnline are working together to reduce the number of questions asked to only be those already on the paper form and those necessary for the company personnel to perform this task for the licensee. So in the near future you will see a reduction in those questions from twenty on the current online form to four.
It was also noted that some individuals wanted to renew online but were not able to successfully log in on the online system. This could be for a number of reasons. First, you are not eligible to renew online any earlier than 60 days prior to the expiration of your license. Second, individuals are unable to renew online if they hold multiple registrations of the same type. This was previously allowed by statute, but the law has changed and this is no longer allowed. Until PSB is able to eliminate these multiple registrations, it is necessary to limit the time period for online renewal to 90 days after expiration. When all multiple registrations have been eliminated, all registrations will be eligible for online renewal for a full year after expiration, as is the case for paper renewals. Last, some individuals might not be passed to the online system due to some enforcement action or past licensing conditions, which require personal contact with PSB before the registration may be renewed.
PSB and TexasOnline are working hard to make this online licensing system better for its licensees and their employers. They are also working forward on bringing Security Business/Facility renewal licenses and registrations online in the next couple of months. The citizens of Texas can also look forward to being able to do initial applications for New/Original registrations and licenses online, which will be the next project for PSB and Texas Online after the facility renewal project is complete.
We encourage you to go to www.TexasOnline.com and see all the other information and services that are available online. While there, if you have any questions or suggestions for the PSB Online Licensing system or any other part of TexasOnline, just click on the �Contact Us� link at the bottom of the page to send us a quick email message. You can also call Allan Martin (512-463-5973) at the TexasOnline Division of the Texas Department of Information Resources with your suggestions or comments.
Allan Martin
Senior Systems Analysis
Texas Online Division
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