Revised Registration-Related Forms

Revised Registration-Related Forms The RMV has revised six forms to indicate that a complete Registration and Title Application (RTA), including an insurance company stamp, must be submitted as part of the transaction. The revised forms are applications for special plates and vanity plates. Full titles and numbers of the revised forms are listed below:   Application for an…

RMV Check Policy and Bulk Transactions

RMV Check Policy and Bulk Transactions Effective July 1, 2021, RMV employees will be prohibited from completing, altering, or filling out a check for any customer. This policy applies to all RMV locations that accept checks. The RMV has created a memo detailing the policy for runners and dealerships that will be inserted into bundles…

REAL ID Enforcement Date Extended to May 2023

REAL ID Enforcement Date Extended to May 2023 Because of COVID-19, the Dept. of Homeland Security has extended the REAL ID full enforcement date from October 1, 2021, to May 3, 2023. As of May 3, 2023, every air traveler 18 years of age and older will need a REAL ID-compliant driver’s license or ID card, or…

Two RMV Reminders: Revocation Timeframe and Out-of-State Insurance

Two RMV Reminders: Revocation Timeframe and Out-of-State Insurance Seeing an increase in service calls, the RMV has asked us to remind agents of their policies on registration revocation and out-of-state insurance: 1) To avoid an insurance revocation action, customers must have proof of coverage with a policy effective date that PRECEDES the scheduled revocation date;…

RMV Tells Customers to Beware of REAL ID Text Scams

RMV Tells Customers to Beware of REAL ID Text Scams The MA RMV wants to remind customers that they never request personal information via text message. There has been a REAL ID text scam going around in several states, where customers receive unsolicited text messages about REAL IDs and updating their licenses. The messages come…

North Adams RMV Reservations Beginning February 16th

North Adams RMV Reservations Beginning February 16th   The RMV Service Center in North Adams is currently open as a Registration Drop Off Center. Beginning Tuesday, February 16, it will also open for Class D and M License, Permit, and ID transactions for customers with reservations. Reservations are already available for scheduling. The hours will…

RMV’s Expired Inspection Sticker Reminder Campaign

RMV’s Expired Inspection Sticker Reminder Campaign The MA RMV has begun an email campaign to remind customers with an expired inspection sticker that it’s time to get their annual safety and emissions inspection. They will email all customers with active registrations, an expired sticker, and an email address on file in ATLAS. While driving without…

REAL ID Documentation Revised to Reflect New Enforcement Date

REAL ID Documentation Revised to Reflect New Enforcement Date The MA RMV has revised the REAL ID documentation and Mass.Gov/RMV website to reflect the new full enforcement date of May 3, 2023. The following REAL ID documents have been updated and are available online: Identification Documents Checklist (LIC115); Driver’s Manual; and REAL ID vs. Standard…

RMV COVID-19 Policies Being Rescinded on 5/29

RMV COVID-19 Policies Being Rescinded on 5/29 Governor Baker’s Executive Order establishing COVID-19 policies will be rescinded on May 29th.  As a result, the following RMV policies will be changed: 1) The grace period for registration transfers after vehicle purchase will revert back to 7 days; 2) The in-car observation hours for junior operators will revert…

Senior Hours Extended Through March

Senior Hours Extended Through March   Dedicated Wednesday appointment hours for customers 75 years of age or older have been extended through March. These appointments will be available to all customers 75 years of age or older. Beginning in February, senior hours will also be expanded to include ALL available service center transactions. They are…

Learner’s Permit Practice Exams Available on RMV Website

Learner’s Permit Practice Exams Available on RMV Website   Class D Learner’s Permit exams are now available on mass.gov/RMV in the Exams section when a customer logs in to MyRMV. Users have 25 minutes to answer 25 random questions. This will help them know the type of questions to expect on the real exam, and…

Important Steps Agents Can Take to Avoid Registry Delays

Important Steps Agents Can Take to Avoid Registry Delays As we’ve written before, we hear your frustrations with the RMV, and are actively advocating on our members behalf. While not all of the current Registry issues (such as understaffing) have a quick and easy fix, one factor that we can control right now is the…

RMV Checks Should Be Made Out to MassDOT

RMV Checks Should Be Made Out to MassDOT   Checks or money orders provided to the RMV by customers should be made out to MassDOT. Certain other names are acceptable if the check or money order has already been written. However, it must be one of the names on the following list: Commonwealth of Massachusetts…

CDL Medical Certificates Extension

CDL Medical Certificates Extension The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) has issued an additional waiver for CDL Medical Certificates (DOT Medical Cards). Certificates that expire between March 1, 2021 and August 30, 2021 will expire on August 31, 2021. The RMV has updated customer records in ATLAS. Affected customers will receive an email informing…

Reminder: RMV Can’t Process Incomplete RTAs

Reminder: RMV Can’t Process Incomplete RTAs MAIA has learned that RMV Service Centers are still receiving a lot of incomplete Registration and Title Applications (RTAs). They really are working hard to process agent transactions quickly, but if the package is incomplete, they have to bounce it back! We’ve provided a link to the RTA Instruction…

Form 2290 No Longer Required for Initial Heavy Highway Vehicle Registrations

Form 2290 No Longer Required for Initial Heavy Highway Vehicle Registrations Effective immediately, proof of Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax payment (IRS Form 2290/ Schedule 1) for vehicles with a taxable gross weight of 55,000 pounds or more is NOT required for initial vehicle registrations. It is only required during registration renewals. This reverses a…

Learner’s Permit Practice Exams Available on RMV Website

Learner’s Permit Practice Exams Available on RMV Website   Class D Learner’s Permit exams are now available on mass.gov/RMV in the Exams section when a customer logs in to MyRMV. Users have 25 minutes to answer 25 random questions. This will help them know the type of questions to expect on the real exam, and…

Answers to Your Questions about Reassigning PAN Plates

Answers to Your Questions about Reassigning PAN Plates After last week’s MassAgent story about the Registry now allowing red PAN plates to be transferred from one person to another, MAIA’s received questions from member agents asking about fees, who could transfer to whom, and more. MAIA Member Relations Advocate Kathy Cormier followed up with the…

RMV Further Extends CDLs, CLPs & CDL Medical Certificates

RMV Further Extends CDLs, CLPs & CDL Medical Certificates The MA RMV has extended Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs), and CDL Medical Certificates (DOT Medical Cards) to May 31, 2021. This will be the final extension. The RMV is working on updating customer records in ATLAS; the new expiration dates will display…

Senior Hours Extended Through March

Dedicated Wednesday appointment hours for customers 75 years of age or older have been extended through March. These appointments will be available to all customers 75 years of age or older.

ATLAS Issue with Mismatched Territory Codes Now Resolved

The MA Private Passenger Automobile Statistical Plan incorporated new territory codes for New Jersey (997) and Pennsylvania (998) effective 1/1/2021. When the ATLAS database was updated with the new codes, the system was inadvertently changing incident locations stored as Other (999) to Pennsylvania (998), particularly on Claims and Out-of-State Incidents. The system error has now…

Temporary Licenses and IDs Extended to 60 Days

Effective January 14th, temporary licenses (all classes) and ID cards printed on secure card stock will be valid for 60 days. They were previously valid for 30 days. Temporary licenses and ID cards issued prior to January 14th will still only be valid for their original 30-day period.

Online Learner’s Permit Exams Available in All ATS Languages

Beginning January 14th, online Class D and Class M Learner’s Permit Exams will be available in ALL of the languages that are available through the Automated Testing Station (ATS). Customers will be able to choose any of the following languages when taking an exam online.

Please Fill Out Cover Sheets Completely When Doing Registry Drops!

The Registry has asked us to remind our members that cover sheets must be filled out completely for individual and commercial transactions brought to Registration Drop Off Centers. They have noticed a trend where agents/runners/dealers are skipping some sections on the cover sheets, and then the clerk does not have what they need to finish…

Commercial Credentials (CDLs & CLPs) and Medical Certificates Extension

The expiration dates for Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs), Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs), and CDL Medical Certificates have all been further extended to February 28, 2021. Customer records will be updated to reflect the new expiration date. 

Commercial Registration Renewal Mailing Delays

The RMV is processing commercial registration renewals on the same day they are received. However, due to mailing delays with the U.S Postal Service, it is taking longer than usual for customers to receive their new registrations and decals in the mail. Once these renewals have been processed, ATLAS will show that they have been…

RMV Adds First-Time Drivers Webpage

The RMV has created a new webpage for first-time drivers: www.mass.gov/guides/first-time-driver-start-here

Senior Wednesday Hours Extended Through January at Many RMV Locations

Dedicated Wednesday appointment hours for customers 75 years of age or older will continue through January at the 17 RMV locations listed below. Senior hours vary by location, but most are 9:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. These appointments will be available to all customers 75 years of age or older so that they can transact…

Customers Asked to Return to Resolve Issues

Starting on Monday, December 14, customers who have not received an email or phone call from the RMV within 10 business days of dropping off their transaction are instructed to return to the Registration Drop Off Center, as there may be issues with the transaction or paperwork that need to be resolved. If the customer…

Greenfield & Pittsfield Increase Commercial Drop Off Days

As of Monday, December 14, the Greenfield and Pittsfield Registration Drop Off Centers have increased the times they are available for commercial drop offs. Their new drop off days and hours are:   Greenfield, 9:00am-4:00pm, Mon-Fri; and Pittsfield, 9:00am-10:30am Mon-Fri. However, drop offs will not be accepted during dedicated Senior Hours on Wednesdays through December; check…

Online Registration Renewal and Duplicate Changes

Effective immediately, the RMV has implemented the following changes: Form 2290 for Vehicles Over 55,000 Pounds: Customers renewing vehicles over 55,000 pounds now have the option to upload Form 2290 (Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax Return) during the online renewal. A dedicated RMV team will review the form and send the customer a link to…

7D Pre-Registration Inspection Policy Reversal

Effective December 1, 2020, established companies with currently registered 7D vehicles DO NOT need to submit new 7D vehicles for inspection and approval by Vehicle Safety and Compliance Services (VSCS) prior to registration. VSCS approval is only required for newly formed 7D companies with no prior 7D vehicle registrations. Once the initial pre-registration inspection is…

RMV Adds Link for Requesting Help with myRMV Logins

The myRMV website uses a two-factor authentication system to protect customer data. This means that when a customer tries to log in, the system sends a security code via email or text. The customer then enters the code into myRMV to verify their identity and complete the login. If they are unable to access the…

Trailer, Camper, Antique & Vanity Plate Renewals Delayed

The RMV has been delayed in processing renewals for trailer, camper, antique, and vanity plates that expired on November 30th. They expect that all renewal requests received by mail will be renewed by the end of the day Friday, December 4th, and ATLAS will show that they have been renewed. However, customers will not receive…

Registration Drop Off Central Distribution Process Change

Plates and/or registrations ordered through Registration Drop Off Centers are centrally distributed and mailed from the new Lowell Fulfillment Center once the transaction has been completed and payment has been received. Effective December 7th, this now includes customers with out-of-state and out-of-country numbers. Previously plates/registrations were only mailed to customers with Massachusetts state-assigned numbers.  The…

RMV Procedures for Voluntary License Surrenders

Customers can surrender licenses for medical or for non-medical reasons. Non-Medical Surrenders Non-medical surrenders can only be processed in RMV service centers. They are processed as Massachusetts ID Card issuance transactions and the customer will need to present a completed Driver’s License, Learner’s Permit or ID Card Application, present lawful presence documentation if required, and…

Trailer, Camper, Antique, and Vanity Plate Renewals

Trailer, camper, antique, and vanity plates expire each year on November 30th. Due to a system issue, any new trailer, camper, antique, or vanity plates registered with a temporary plate from now until 12/1 cannot be renewed online. Customers should be urged to either wait until 12/1 to register OR renew the plates at the…

Wednesdays at 17 RMV Locations Are for Customers Age 75+ to Renew Expiring Licenses ONLY

Massachusetts law requires drivers age 75 or older to renew their licenses in person. To provide a safer space for older adults to conduct these transactions, the RMV has designated Wednesdays throughout the months of November and December for these customers only. The following service centers will be dedicated to processing license renewals for older…

UPDATE: New Process for Customer Printing Temporary Docs

MAIA issued a Special Bulletin on 11/2/2020 about the RMV’s new central distribution process for certain plates and registrations ordered through the Registration Drop Off Centers. This notice updates and clarifies that information. 

Duplicate Registration Fee Overrides

If a customer contacts the RMV, indicates they did not receive their registration in the mail, and requests a duplicate, the $25 duplicate fee will be overridden if: