RMV to Strictly Enforce No Walk-In Policy at 8 Open Service Centers

Effective Friday, March 27th, the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will be enforcing a strict no walk-in policy at its eight Service Centers open to the general public. The only transactions that will be processed at service centers are those that require an in-person transaction, including Commercial Driving Licenses or Permits (CDLs / CLPs), some new registrations, out of state conversions and new Mass IDs. Customers who need to complete these transactions will be required to make an online appointment reservation, and customers arriving without an appointment will be asked to leave and make an appointment online to return at a future date.

Appointment reservations can be made online at www.Mass.Gov/RMV in the myRMV Online Service Center under “Make or Cancel a Reservation.” Customers who make an appointment will be sent a confirmation email that they should be prepared to show on arrival at their designated time at a specific Service Center.

The RMV offers many services online, including renewing motor vehicle registrations, and customers needing these services will only be serviced online at this time. If the service can be completed online, the RMV will not process the transaction in a service center. Renewals for standard driver’s license and ID credentials can be performed online at www.Mass.Gov/RMV along with more than 40 other transactions that can be conducted online, over the phone, or by mail.

As a reminder, the RMV has already suspended knowledge/written exams and road tests for non-commercial (Class D and Class M) learner’s permits. In addition, the federal government’s REAL ID compliance deadline has been postponed, and is now next year, in October 2021. For this reason, the RMV has suspended at this time the issuance of new REAL IDs.

60-Day Extension of Commercial and Non-Commercial Credentials: All Class D, Class M and Class DM driver’s licenses, ID cards, Learners’ Permits, and commercial driver’s licenses and permits (CDLs / CLPs) with an expiration date between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020, have had a 60-day extension applied to their credential, with the exception of customers whose end of stay in the United States is the same as the expiration date on their driver’s license, ID card, or Learner’s Permit. Customers eligible for these extensions should wait to visit an RMV Service Center to renew until after the State of Emergency has concluded. CDL Medical Certificates (Med Certs) expiring after March 1 will also have a 60-day extension applied to prevent license downgrades and elective medical visits, as well as alleviate demand on medical providers, during the State of Emergency.

Commercial (CDL / CLP) Transactions and Suspension Hearings
The Milford and Wilmington RMV Service Centers will remain open to exclusively perform walk-in commercial transactions for CDLs and permits (CLPs), and CDL road tests continue to be administered.

Customers may continue to request suspension hearings by visiting a RMV Service Center in-person on a first-come, first-served basis, but under new protocols, customers will be required to submit their application and all required, supporting documentation depending on the type of suspension, before leaving and having a Hearings Officer call the customer directly to conduct their suspension hearing by phone.

Some suspended customers may already be able to complete the reinstatement process and payment online if all other outstanding requirements have been satisfied by visiting www.Mass.Gov/RMV and selecting “Pay my Reinstatement Fees.”
Hearings are being conducted at Boston/Haymarket, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, Springfield and Worcester. Hearings at the Pittsfield RMV occur weekly on Wednesdays and no hearings are conducted in Plymouth. Chemical test refusal (CTR) hearings are only held at Boston/Haymarket.

These and several additional measures are being implemented at the RMV to prioritize reducing customer volumes in physical locations and maintaining proper “social-distancing” under Governor Charlie Baker’s declaration of a State of Emergency the week of March 9th and to complement the work that has been underway for weeks across state government to keep residents safe and healthy.

For information about available services and additional steps the RMV has taken under the State of Emergency declaration, including the extension of expiring licenses / permits and vehicle inspection stickers, please visit: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/rmv-covid-19-information.

By Klark Jessen, MassDOT Blog