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Rhode Island Boaters Can Renew Registrations Online

The first electronic service of the state's portal is ready for business.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Gov. Lincoln Almond said Rhode Island's 40,000 boaters can now renew their boat registrations online through RI.gov, the state's Web portal.

This is the first online service offered by the portal and one of the first government sites nationally to offer boat registration renewal services, state officials said.

"Although boat registration renewals can still be mailed to us, some people prefer the ease and immediacy of online business transactions," said Jan Reitsma, director of the state's Department of Environmental Management. "This is the first step toward offering a number of online services from DEM, which, in the future, will allow customers to apply for and check the status of permit applications online. Eventually, the portal will be used to apply for hunting and fishing licenses, beach passes and campground reservations."

Boat owners can use a printable temporary registration until the new registration is mailed within 10 days of the online transaction. Users of the service will also have to pay a fee, ranging from $1 to $12 depending on boat size and length of renewal for the transaction, which is used to fund RI.gov.

"We take security and privacy very seriously," said Howard Boksenbaum, the state's acting CIO, of the Department of Administration. "The online service ensures that only authorized users are requesting and renewing the registration electronically, and that all personal information including credit card numbers, name and address is kept highly secure."

The RI.gov portal is a collaborative effort of the state's Department of Administration and New England Interactive (NEI). The state, last year, entered into a long-term, zero-dollar contract with NEI to provide the electronic-government services. Funding comes solely from transaction and/or subscription fees associated with the services.

Office of Gov. Lincoln Almond