BAY MINETTE, Alabama — State computers were down today on the inaugural electronic motorist tag and license registration for proof of liability insurance, but renewal lines were small due to holiday travel, according to Baldwin County Probate Judge Tim Russell.

 “We were the first to report the state computers being down and we are doing it the old fashioned way,” Russell said.

A 2011 state legislature bill mandates stiff penalties for motorists who do not have liability insurance in force. The unfunded state mandate requires the state’s 67 counties to enforce the law.

Previously, police, sheriffs and troopers were required to check ownership and issue citations. “I am all for it and it will help everyone in Alabama,” Russell said. “But it is another example of the state pushing things on the counties.”