Massachusetts RMV issues service updates and reminders

BOSTON – The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is pleased to announce it will continue to offer dedicated weekly Wednesday service hours for customers who are 75 years of age or older into the month of January at 17 locations. Individuals in this age group are required by state law to renew their Massachusetts driver’s license in person.

The designated service hours began on September 2nd to offer an option to senior citizens to facilitate proper “social-distancing” protocols to keep customers and staff safe and healthy. The following centers will continue exclusively serving these customers on Wednesdays who make renewal appointments: Brockton, Danvers, Fall River, Greenfield, Lawrence, Leominster, Martha’s Vineyard, Nantucket, New Bedford, North Adams, Pittsfield, Plymouth, Revere, South Yarmouth, Springfield, Watertown, and Worcester.

Below are the options for seniors to renew by appointment:

•If you are a AAA member, you may make a reservation now to renew your driver’s license/ID at a AAA location. Visit aaa.com/appointments to schedule your visit.
•If you are not a AAA member, visit Mass.Gov/RMV to make a reservation to renew at an RMV Service Center. Select the Seniors License Renewal option on the Make/Cancel a Reservation transaction tab.
•Email the RMV for assistance to renew: MassDOTRMVSeniors@dot.state.ma.us
•Call the RMV at 857-368-8005.

The RMV would like to remind customers of the additional information below, including the status of several initiatives launched due to the COVID-19 pandemic:

Non-Commercial Licenses, IDs, and Learner’s Permit Credentials

•Most non-commercial RMV credential extensions granted for customers in 2020, including learner’s permits, will expire by December 31st and customers may need to act soon to renew a license or ID online. Driver’s licenses and ID cards that have expired this year may still be renewed online. Permit applicants must retake the exam if they have expired. With the main exception for customers 75 and older being accommodated through the above dedicated service offerings, most licenses and ID’s can be renewed online at Mass.Gov/RMV and do not require a visit to a Service Center.

•Eligible customers who may need a REAL ID in the future can take advantage of the current REAL ID promotion and renew their Standard Massachusetts driver’s license or Massachusetts ID card online now at Mass.Gov/RMV and upgrade to REAL ID credential at no cost in 2021. Qualifying customers who complete their renewal online and wish to upgrade to a REAL ID for free will have to wait until at least six (6) months after Massachusetts’ State of Emergency is lifted to visit an RMV Service Center. Customers currently do not need a federally compliant REAL ID for the purposes of boarding domestic flights prior to October 1, 2021, as the federal government delayed the compliance effective date by one year.

•License and ID renewal appointments are available at open RMV Service Centers that offer general appointments to the public. Select Renew My Driver’s License or Mass ID option on the Make/Cancel a Reservation at Mass.Gov/RMV to view availability and make a reservation at one of these locations for any day of the week, Monday-Friday.

Commercial Credentials (CDLs/CLPs)

•The federal government has extended eligible Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDL) and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLP) until February 28, 2021.
•Extensions will be applied to customer records beginning the evening of Tuesday, December 29th. Commercial customers should visit Mass.Gov/RMV or log into their myRMV account for further information and to verify their status.

Road Tests

•Road Tests continue at most Service Centers and can be scheduled online.
•State vehicles are being used to conduct road tests to ensure the health and safety of employees and customers. Vehicles are cleaned and disinfected between tests.
•During a road test, only the examiner and the student are permitted inside the vehicle.
•Driving schools continue to be permitted to perform remote or online instruction under existing public health protocols.

Junior Operators

•An Executive Order signed by Governor Charlie Baker on June 12 for Junior Operators remains in effect.
•A Junior Operator is permitted to do 46 hours of supervised driving hours with a parent, guardian or other adult over 21 with a valid license for over a year.
•The Executive Order overrules the statute that requires Junior Operators with a learner’s permit to complete 6 hours observing another student driver, and 40 supervised driving hours with a parent, guardian or other adult over 21 with a valid license for over one year.

Vehicle Registrations

•Registration Drop-Off Centers have been implemented at RMV Service Center locations in Boston/Haymarket, Braintree, Chicopee, Greenfield, Haverhill, Milford. North Adams, Taunton, and Wilmington.
•The drop‐off centers are dedicated exclusively to registration and title transactions for both individual and commercial customers.
•Customers can drop off their completed Registration and Title Application (RTA), applicable supporting documents, and completed drop‐off center form. Transactions will be processed and completed on a first‐come, first‐served basis and sent to customers via the U.S. Postal Service.
•Payment must be done online, and customers will receive email with payment instructions once paperwork is processed. In following ‘social-distancing’ practices, these facilities and services will be drop-off transactions / bundles only. Customers are not be allowed to ‘wait’ in any of these locations for pick-up.

Registration Transfers After Vehicle Purchase Grace Period

•From June 12 until the date of when the State of Emergency ends, an Executive Order issued by Governor Charlie Baker temporary extends this grace period requirement to 21 calendar days from the date you dispose of your previous vehicle to register your new one.

Suspension Hearings

•Suspension Hearings continue to be conducted by phone, however, customers must report to a designated RMV Service Center in person to begin the process.
•Hearing locations include: Boston/Haymarket, Brockton, Fall River, Lawrence, *Pittsfield (Wednesdays only), Springfield, and Worcester.
•Customers are limited to one hearing on a particular suspension or revocation.

National Safety Council Classes

•With limited exceptions and accommodations, anyone needing to take National Safety Council classes may continue to take them online through March 1, 2021. An online course completion counts as a customer’s in-person class requirement.