In this issue:
- DVS: Online portal lets you manage services
- Preventing repetitive losses: HSEM program breaks the cycle at Duluth Lakewalk
- BCA: Changes in law mean new requirements for firearms
- Commissioner's corner: 911 infrastructure upgrades
- Featured social media
 MyDVS is available at drive.mn.gov.
As helpful and kind as the staff in our Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) division are, it's an unfortunate truth that most people don't enjoy going to their offices. It's an errand that inevitably requires waiting in line and filling out paperwork, which are typically nobody's favorite things.
That's why DVS has launched an online portal service, where you can sign up for a MyDVS account and manage any services linked to your driver's license number from the comfort of your own home. While there might still be some things you need to stop by an office for — such as taking your knowledge test or getting your photo taken — starting the process online will save you time and make your life a little easier.
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Convenient: “At DVS, our focus is providing convenient, efficient service," DVS Director Pong Xiong said. “We know Minnesotans are busy, so we're doing everything we can to remove barriers."
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Track your information: The portal lets you pre-apply for a driver's license or ID, schedule an appointment for a skill or knowledge test, request your certified driving record and view your driver's license status, among other things.
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Secure: It takes just a few minutes to fill out the online form, then we'll send you a letter in the mail with a unique Letter ID you'll need to create your account. Protecting your information is important to us, which is why we mail the letter to the address on file, rather than send it through email.
Learn more here.
 An October 2018 storm battered the Duluth Lakewalk for the third time in a year, making it clear that a plan was needed to protect the trail from future weather events.
If you've visited Duluth this summer, chances are you stopped by the Canal Park area, where the Lakewalk provides a stunning view of Lake Superior. Just a few short years ago, the park and the Lakewalk were covered in debris, torn apart by a series of storms. Our Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) division was there each time to help Duluth pick up the pieces.
HSEM determined the three storms caused more than $10 million in damages to the Lakewalk, a key piece of infrastructure in the city of Duluth. City engineers, contractors and our staff all agreed: It would happen again if they didn't do something different.
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Preventing damage: “This project is the perfect example of what the mitigation program aims to do — prevent repetitive loss," HSEM Director Kristi Rollwagen said. “Duluth is no longer operating in a cycle of damage and rebuild. This time they built back better thanks to the hazard mitigation program."
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Local control: Duluth took the lead in developing a plan to protect its natural resources. Local authorities determined that they needed to build a more resilient Lakewalk, relocating a portion of the trail and adding more rocks and green space to protect it.
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Funding: Because of the disaster declarations, Duluth was eligible for the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) and Public Assistance Program, which reimburses cities for the cost of infrastructure projects aimed at protecting Minnesota's resources from natural hazards.
Learn more here.
 Our Bureau of Criminal Apprehension is letting Minnesotans know that we have changed a commonly used process.
Our Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has updated firearm permitting forms in response to several changes to Minnesota's gun laws approved by the Minnesota Legislature earlier this year.
Among the changes is a new state law that requires that people undergo background checks when buying or receiving pistols or semi-automatic military-style assault weapons. Previously, Minnesota did not require background checks for private party transfers.
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When it applies: The law governs private party transfers, which is when one person transfers a firearm to another outside of a typical store purchase.
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When it doesn't apply: There are numerous exceptions to this statute, including transfers between immediate family members, which means spouses, domestic partners, parents, children, siblings, grandparents and grandchildren.
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BCA's changes: The BCA has updated existing firearms forms and created a “Private Party Record of Transfer" form to reflect these changes. The forms are available on the BCA website.
Learn more here.
By Oct. 1, $7 million will head out to Minnesota’s eligible public safety answering points (PSAPs) thanks to new funds approved by the legislature.
This one-time appropriation will be used to complete necessary upgrades, equipment purchases, technology enhancements and trainings to accommodate the state’s roll-out of the Next Generation 911 (NG911) system.
The funds are available through June 30, 2025. Eligible PSAPs will be required to submit a separate compliance report indicating how these funds were spent by Aug. 1, 2025.
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