November is the beginning of a five-year license renewal cycle, and the Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is urging eligible drivers to renew their licenses online, as the number of license renewals are expected to increase by 50 percent beginning in November, and continuing at higher levels for the months thereafter.
The RMV has is launching a publicity campaign through billboards and public service announcements to urge drivers to check their license expiration dates and renew online. The goal of the campaign is to let the public know that approximately 50 percent of drivers are eligible to renew their license online and avoid a branch visit. It also reminds customers that they can renew their licenses up to one year before the expiration date that falls on their birthday.
“MassDOT’s commitment to customer service has enabled the RMV to reduce branch wait times. But those lines could get longer as we experience the coming uptick in license renewals,” said Registrar Rachel Kaprielian. “So we want to remind people again that renewing online is quick and easy and should take no more than 10 minutes to complete.”
The RMV’s online renewal application asks customers a series of questions. Customers eligible to renew online can pay the required fee and their license will be mailed to them in 7-10 business days. The online application also helps customers that aren’t eligible to renew via the Internet. The web transaction informs customers 75 years or older that they must renew at a branch, in accordance with the 2010 Safe Driving Law. It also informs customers if they owe parking tickets or excise bills that have to be paid in order to renew. Customers that are required to renew in a branch can complete and print the web application to save time during their visit.
Customers not able to renew online should plan ahead and check branch locations and wait times online. To help prepare for the expected increase in customers, RMV recently expanded its hours at some of its busiest branches.
For more information or to check branch wait times and locations, visit http://www.massdot.state.ma.us/rmv/BranchInfo/BranchMap.aspx