Inside Louisiana's Outdated OMV Tech Still Running in 2025

It's commonly known any trip to the DMV can feel like an eternity. There are a few key reasons why the Office of Motor Vehicles takes forever here in Louisiana, one of those has to do with the OMV's decades-old computer system.

Say Hello To The Grandpa Of Computer Code

Louisiana's OMV, and a lot of government offices, rely on an old computer coding language called COBOL.

COBOL is short for Common Business-Oriented Language and was created because, in the early days of computers, different brands of computer make or different computer parts could not run the same code as others, so programmer Mary Hawes started a movement to make one code language for all computers.

Here's an example of an IBM 7074, a data-processing computer made in 1960 and used for the COBOL software language, this machine isn't one used by the Louisiana OMV but is an example of what some of the original machines still in use might look like.

IBM 7074 | Photo by Reinraum

Seeing machines like this, it makes sense the OMV has slowdowns if this is what they're still using in 2025. Scroll further down to see more COBOL machines the OMV could still have in use.

Development of COBOL started in 1959 and by the end of the 1960s countless government offices had introduced COBOL computers to automate and assist in government services.

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It Could Take Years To Replace Louisiana's OMV COBOL Machines

There are no pictures of the original computers used by the DMV, and nowhere online is it mentioned when the OMV first picked up the machines. We can confirm Louisiana has had the system since at least the mid-1980s

Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images/Canva

In the modern day, the OMV's computer system is notorious for being offline at random times, making the lines to get your license even more annoying. The reason why is that some of the original machines are likely still required to run the system.

Governor Landry just appointed a new Commissioner of the OMV and his eyes are already set on updating the ancient systems, but funding and struggles to safely transfer all of the data have presented roadblocks already.

Meet the Ancient Computer System Running Louisiana's OMV

The computer database used by the Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles has been there for decades and still uses decades-old technology called COBOL. Meet some of the original computers that ran the same systems back in the day, some of which might even still be in use somewhere at a Louisiana OMV.