RMV UPDATE: No Walk-In Policy Effective March 27 & 60 Day Extension on Inspections of Commercial & Non-Commercial Vehicles
No Walk-In Policy Effective March 27
Contact Center Phone Number Correction: 857-368-8000
The email sent by the RMV on Friday, March 27 had an incorrect phone number for the Contact Center. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused, and have updated the message with the correct phone number below.
The RMV will be strictly enforcing a No Walk-In Policy. Only Customers with Appointment Reservations Will Be Served for Required In-Person Transactions
Effective today, Friday, March 27 the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is enforcing a strict no walk-in policy at its eight service centers that are 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 in the myRMV Online Service Center under “Make or Cancel a Reservation.” Customers who make an appointment will receive a confirmation email that they should be prepared to show on arrival at their designated time at a specific service center. Customers can also call the Contact Center at 857-368-8000 to make a reservation.
The eight RMV Service Centers that are open for reservations are:
• Boston
• Brockton
• Fall River
• Lawrence
• Pittsfield
• Plymouth
• Springfield
• Worcester
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 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.
Commercial (CDL/CLP) Transactions and B2B/IRP Services
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. Drop-off only services for B2B and IRP transactions will continue to be accepted at the Milford, Springfield, and Wilmington Service Centers.
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 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.
Suspension Hearings
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 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 9 and to complement the work that has been underway for weeks across state government to keep residents safe and healthy.
More 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, is on the RMV website here.
60-day extension now applies to both commercial and non-commercial vehicle inspections
The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is implementing a 60-day extension to commercial vehicle inspections expiring in March and April. The RMV announced the 60-day extension for non-commercial vehicle inspections on March 20th. These initiatives recognize the importance of commercial vehicle drivers to the supply chain during the State of Emergency declaration, and will continue to prioritize reducing customer volumes in physical locations.
In an effort to help customers maintain proper social distancing, as today, March 26, the annual motor vehicle safety and emissions inspection expiration dates are being extended as follows:
• All commercial and non-commercial vehicle inspection stickers that expire on March 31, 2020 (designated by a number 3 on the inspection sticker) must be inspected by May 31, 2020.
• All commercial and non-commercial vehicle inspection stickers that expire on April 30, 2020 (designated by a number 4 on the inspection sticker) must be inspected by June 30, 2020.
• Commercial and non-commercial vehicles that are issued a failed inspection sticker (indicated by a sticker with a red or black letter ‘R’) that is due to expire in the month of March, 2020, must be re-inspected by May 31, and all vehicles issued a failed inspection sticker due to expire in the month of April, 2020, must be re-inspected by June 30. Additionally, the one free retest for these vehicles is also extended to May 31 or June 30 provided the retest is performed at the same inspection station that performed the initial inspection.
• Regardless of the date of inspection, vehicles issued a failed inspection sticker due to a safety defect (indicated by a sticker with a red letter ‘R’) are prohibited from operating until appropriate repairs have been completed.
• All motorcycle inspection stickers originally set to expire on May 31 must be inspected by June 30.
As a reminder, the RMV is also extending the time during which newly registered vehicles must be inspected, which is typically within seven days of the date of registration.
• Any newly registered commercial and non-commercial vehicle purchased between March 1, 2020 and March 31, 2020 must be inspected by May 31.
• Any newly registered commercial and non-commercial vehicle purchased between April 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020 must be inspected by June 30.