Emissions Regulations for Medium and Heavy-Duty Vehicles
April 22, 2025 The Advanced Clean Trucks (ACT) Regulation requires a certain percentage of manufacturers’ overall sales to include sales of Zero Emission Vehicles. The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) has exempted marketing model year 2026 and 2027 medium and heavy-duty vehicles in class 2b through class 8 from the ACT requirements. Medium and heavy-duty…
New Zoo New England Plates
April 17, 2025 The Zoo New England plate is a two-year passenger special plate. Proceeds from this plate will fund Zoo New England’s conservation programs to save wildlife and wild places in Massachusetts. All pre-ordered plates have been delivered to the Special Plates Department at RMV Quincy Headquarters. Read the official update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier…
Road Tests at Quincy Headquarters Ending Effective May 1
April 14, 2025 Effective May 1, road tests will no longer be offered at RMV Quincy Headquarters (25 Newport Avenue Extension). The last tests will be conducted there on April 30, and new tests can no longer be scheduled. Customers looking to schedule road tests should be directed to the two nearest locations, which are the…
Vanity Plate Requirements Change
April 14, 2025 Effective April 10, the vanity plate requirements will change. The letters “I”, “O”, “Q”, and “U” will be allowed even if the word is not clearly defined or correctly spelled. For example, “LQQK” and “IOAT” will be acceptable. Previously, “I”, “O”, “Q”, and “U” could only be used in clearly defined and correctly spelled…
Montana Title Error
April 7, 2025 Montana titles issued on March 17, March 18, and March 19 had an error in the address line of the seller section. City was listed twice; first in the correct location and then in the zip code field. These titles are acceptable and should not be rejected. Read the official update here. Read…
HERO Act Reminder
April 1, 2025 The HERO Act is the most comprehensive and expansive legislative package dedicated to the welfare of veterans in Massachusetts history. There are multiple parts of the HERO Act that impact RMV customers by providing fee exemptions for disabled veterans. These were all covered in previous training updates; this reminder summarizes all of them together.…
IRP Lease Agreements
April 1, 2025 Effective April 1st, 2025, in the 2026 period, the International Registration Plan (IRP) Department will no longer accept an Authorization for the Use of a USDOT Number as a standalone document. We will require a lease agreement that complies with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) in addition to the letter (if…
A Solution for MPIUA’s $1,000,000 Coverage Limit
The Massachusetts Division of Insurance has approved a new rule and endorsement applicable to both the Homeowners and Dwelling Policy Programs in MPIUA. These changes will take effect for new business policies only issued on or after April 15, 2025. Previously, MPIUA policies were capped at $1,000,000 for Coverage A. Now, with this new Primary…
Surviving Spouses Contacting Lienholders – Reminder Update
March 11, 2025 For a surviving spouse to obtain a new title for their deceased spouse’s vehicle, or to sell the vehicle, they must have the deceased spouse’s Certificate of Title. If the Certificate of Title is being held by a lienholder, the surviving spouse must contact the lienholder to obtain the title. Read the…
2025 Annual Privacy Notice
Thank you for trusting MAIA and Number One Insurance Agency to protect you and your business! We are committed to protecting the confidentiality of your personal and company information, staff, and agency’s clients. Following the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, also known as the Financial Services Modernization Act, we ask that you review our annual communication regarding our…
Apportioned Plate Registration Status
March 3, 2025 Effective February 27, 2025, Apportioned Plates will no longer display a status of expired on the vehicle ownership in ATLAS; instead, they will display a status of inactive. An inactive status means there isn’t a registration status on the vehicle. An IRP Plate Status Letter can be issued by the IRP Department at…
Revised Certificate of Title Stock
February 24, 2025 The back of the Certificate of Title has been revised with new legal language. The new title stock will be used as the current stock is depleted. The new title stock will have a control number that is continuous with the current stock, and all security features will remain unchanged. All previously issued…
Chicopee Service Center
February 18, 2025 The Chicopee Service Center will be closed over the next several days due to recent weather conditions, resulting in an inaccessible parking lot. Please direct all services to the Springfield Service Center until after Friday. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected].
Purple Heart Sales Tax Exemption
February 10, 2025 Effective February 8, as part of the HERO Act, Purple Heart Medal recipients will be exempt from Massachusetts sales tax on purchases of vehicles if they qualify and have been approved for Disabled Veteran Plates. They can have either Purple Heart Plates or Disabled Veteran Plates, and one of those plates must be…
Board of Appeal Address Change
February 10, 2025 Effective February 8, 2025, the Board of Appeals’ address will change to the following: Division of Insurance Board of Appeal One Federal St., Suite 700 Boston, MA 02110 Mail sent to the old address will be forwarded for one year. All RMV documentation that lists the old address, including letters, the website,…
“Registration Cancelled” Field Change
January 17, 2025 Effective January 16, 2025, the “Registration Cancelled” field in the RMV eServices Insurance Portal will no longer be displayed from the vehicle screen. Instead, the “Registration Cancelled” date can be retrieved from the Portal as follows: Go to the Vehicle Information screen, View the Registration tab, then the Plates sub-tab, and Under the Cease…
MPIUA: 2 NEW RULES Effective 2/1/25
The Massachusetts Property Insurance Underwriting Association (MPIUA) is implementing two new rules—Flood Insurance Requirement and Amount of Insurance Requirement—applicable to both Homeowners and Dwelling Policy Programs. These changes will take effect for new business policies issued on or after February 1, 2025, and for subsequent renewals of these policies. Flood Insurance Requirement: The MPIUA will…
Revised Application for Gold Star Family Plates
January 13, 2025 The Application for Gold Star Family Plates (REG113) has been revised to clarify who is eligible for these plates. A Gold Star Family Plate can be issued, without charge, to spouses, parents, children, siblings, grandparents, and grandchildren of members of the United States Armed Forces who died while on active duty with…
Registry Procedures Manual Update!
January 13, 2025 This online “flipbook” manual is a MUST for every agent who writes MA automobile insurance and deals with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles! The Registry Procedures Manual (RPM) allows subscribers to utilize keyword searches to find what they need and is automatically updated regularly throughout the year. Check out what’s new HERE.…
NH Temporary Plates Clarification
January 6, 2025 NH approved a new law (HB 1243) that was put into effect 9/01/2024. The new law does not change the process for how Mass residents are getting their plates with the RMV, but change the process for NH DMV eliminating the form RDMV 938 (Vehicle Sold to a Massachusetts Resident Form). Important…
CDL Disqualification Change
January 6, 2025 Effective January 2, drivers who are disqualified from operating commercial vehicles for life may have the ability to retain or restore their Commercial Driver’s License (CDL). This is based on a revision to Massachusetts General Law, Chapter 90F Section 9. Read the full update here. Click here for FAQ. Registry Questions? Contact Kathy…
Out of State Titles – New Documents Required
January 6, 2025 Effective January 13, when a customer is unable to produce their current Out of State Title because it is held by a lienholder, they must present the current Out of State Registration Certificate and any one of the supporting documents to accompany a Registration and Title Application (RTA). Read the full update…
Newly Renovated South Yarmouth Service Center
December 10, 2024 On Monday, December 9, the newly renovated and expanded South Yarmouth RMV Service Center will open. This is the same location that was temporarily closed for renovations in December 2022. The address is 1084 Route 28 (Main Street) in South Yarmouth, in the same strip mall as the temporary location. The renovated location expanded…
CDL DACH Checks and Downgrades
November 18, 2024 As part of the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s (FMCSA) Drug and Alcohol Testing Program, the FMCSA manages a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH). The Clearinghouse is a database that contains information about drug and alcohol violations committed by Commercial Learner’s Permit (CLP)/CDL operators. These drug and alcohol…
CDL Webinar – Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse Implementation Webinar Follow Up
November 18, 2024 The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) held a webinar on Wednesday, November 13, 2024 to review the Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse (DACH) before implementing the final rule on Monday, November 18, 2024. The final rule establishes requirements for State Driver Licensing Agencies (SDLAs) to access and use information from the Clearinghouse indicating…
Disabled Veteran Fee Exemptions – HERO Act
November 12, 2024 Effective immediately, the Massachusetts HERO Act exempts disabled veterans from paying the following RMV fees: Registration fees for any/all vehicle registration(s), with exceptions. Driver’s license transaction fees (for all license classes), with exceptions. Read the full update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected]
CDL Self-Certification Downgrades
November 5, 2024 Effective November 6, 2024, when a Commercial Driver’s License (CDL) is downgraded because the driver’s CDL Self-Certification expired, the CDL will no longer be cancelled, and a Class D license will not be issued to the customer. Instead, the customer can operate a passenger vehicle with their physical CDL driver’s license while their…
State Electric Vehicle Plates
November 4, 2024 State Electric Vehicle (SE) plates are state plates that are now available for electric vehicles owned by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. SE plates do not expire. Read the full update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected]
AAA Fairhaven Location Temporarily Closing
November 4, 2024 The AAA Fairhaven location is temporarily closing on November 1 for remodeling. Construction is scheduled to be completed by November 19, but is subject to change. Appointments will not be available again until there is a confirmed reopening date. Read the full update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via…
New Mass.Gov/REALID Webpage
November 4, 2024 The RMV has published a new action-oriented customer focused REAL ID webpage: Mass.Gov/REALID. This page, which is already live, will help simplify the steps customers have to complete to obtain a REAL ID, such as scheduling an appointment and preparing their documents. It features a new tagline that we will launch soon…
Registry Procedures Manual Update!
November 4, 2024 This online “flipbook” manual is a MUST for every agent who writes MA automobile insurance and deals with the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles! The Registry Procedures Manual (RPM) allows subscribers to utilize keyword searches to find what they need and is automatically updated regularly throughout the year. Check out what’s new HERE.…
RMV Website Search Feature
October 28, 2024 The “Search Mass.gov” box at the top of Mass.Gov/RMV has been improved to allow for better usability and accessibility. A new “scoped search” feature has been added to allow for searching only through the RMV site when selected. The search box that was previously located under the green Massachusetts RMV banner and…
Disabled Veteran Excise Tax Exemption Documentation Change
October 22, 2024 Disabled veterans do not need to pay excise tax for one passenger vehicle or pick-up truck. The vehicle must be owned by the veteran and be used for non-commercial purposes. View the full update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected].
Plate Issuance in November 2024 Through January 2025
October 7, 2024 A large number of registrations expire and need to be renewed in the final months of the year. In an effort to more evenly balance out registration renewals per month, February plates (ending in 2) will be issued in November, December, and January. View the full update and fee schedule here. Questions?…
Issuance of Free Replacement Documents
October 7, 2024 When a customer is issued a temporary credential or applies for an online duplicate or renewal registration, the license, ID card, or registration should arrive in the mail within 10 to 14 business days. Effective October 7, if the card or registration does not arrive in the mail between 30-60 days after…
Recognitions and Awards Given at MAIA’s 2024 Annual Meeting
The following individuals were honored during MAIA’s Annual Meeting: Henry F. Barry, Jr. Memorial Pacesetter of the Year: Benjamin Cavallo, CIC, AAI, CISR Distinguished Service Awards: Lisa Hirbour, CIC, CPCU and Bradley P. Howes, Jr., CPCU, ARM, LIA MAIA’s Chairperson’s Award: Patrick Dempsey Board of Directors’ Award: Ted Gibson, MLIS James O. Herrick, Jr. Memorial…
Updated Company Auto Filings – September 2024
September 26, 2024 MAIA periodically visits the Division of Insurance to collect the latest information about each company’s private passenger automobile insurance rules, rates, and forms filings. Recent changes and updates are presented here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected].
State-to-State Verification Cancels Multi-State Credentials
September 9, 2024 The New York Department of Motor Vehicles now checks other participating states to prevent anyone from having active credentials in two states. If you have two driver’s licenses or a license in one state and an ID Card in another, one will be canceled, and you may lose the ability to legally…
RTA Acceptance Requirements
August 26, 2024 To ensure that Registration and Title Applications (RTAs) are completed properly and that vehicles are lawfully registered and titled, the RMV and its business partners are responsible for registration and title transaction processing terms. View the full update here. Questions? Contact Kathy Cormier at 508-634-7353 or via email at [email protected].
Email Addresses and Phone Numbers Not Provided to the Public
August 26, 2024 Customer email address and phone number information collected by the RMV during transactions will NOT be provided to the public. This information will only be used by the RMV or shared with other government agencies with a legitimate need. The RMV website and all online transactions have been updated to include a statement…