Registry News: Paying Vehicle/Trailer Sales Tax Online
With RMV service centers closed for all but essential services, sales tax for a motor vehicle, trailer, camper, motorcycle, etc. must be paid online to avoid late penalties or interest. The RMV has issued instructions and a link to the MA Department of Revenue (DOR ) MassTaxCollect site where these transactions can be completed. The…
Registry News: Further Extensions for Licenses, Permits, Inspection Stickers, and Passenger Registrations
Effective immediately, further extensions will be implemented for expiring motor vehicle inspection stickers, passenger plate registrations, professional credentials, and licenses and permits, including Commercial Driver’s Licenses and Permits (CDLs / CLPs).
Registry News: Additional COVID-19 RMV Changes
The MA RMV continues to implement measures to reduce customer volumes in physical locations and maintain proper social-distancing to keep residents and staff safe and healthy.
Merit Rating Board Message Re: Adding Driving Violations After Policy Renewal
The Massachusetts Merit Rating Board (MRB) recently sent a communication to all companies which MAIA would like to share with our members. The MRB message states:
RMV Extends Registrations by 60 Days for March/April Expirations
RMV Extends Registrations by 60 Days for March/April Expirations Effective immediately, the RMV has extended all passenger plates/registrations that expired in March and that are due to expire in April for 60 days. Customers who have not renewed a registration that expired on March 31, 2020 have been extended until May 31, 2020. Customers who…
RMV to Mail IRP Renewals in Monthly Batches Starting in April
RMV to Mail IRP Renewals in Monthly Batches Starting in April MAIA spoke to the RMV today (Friday, March 27), and they are still on point to start mailing IRP renewals, but will be changing the process this year. Instead of mailing all renewals at once, they will separate the renewals into three groups and…
RMV Enforcing No Walk-In Policy
RMV Enforcing No Walk-In Policy Effective Friday, March 27th, the RMV will be enforcing a strict no walk-in policy at its eight Service Centers 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…
RMV: 60-Day Extension Now Applies to Both Commercial and Non-Commercial Vehicle Inspections
RMV: 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…
RMV Springfield Will Accept B2B/IRP Transactions for Drop-Off Service
RMV Springfield Will Accept B2B/IRP Transactions for Drop-Off Service Beginning Thursday, March 26, the Springfield RMV Service Center will be open for B2B/IRP drop-off transaction processing. (The B2B/IRP-dedicated service centers at Milford and Wilmington also remain open for drop-off services.) These facilities and services will be for drop-off transactions/bundles only. You will not be allowed to…
RMV Branches Limiting Numbers of Customers
RMV Branches Limiting Numbers of Customers The RMV branches that are open are swamped, so they have determined how many customers they can serve in a day and are giving out numbers to people waiting in line as a trial process. Once the numbers are gone, that will be all that is serviced that day.…
RMV Makes Temporary Policy Change Re Insurance Stamps
RMV Makes Temporary Policy Change Re Insurance Stamps The RMV is temporarily amending the current proof of insurance policy to allow insurance companies and agents to send a scanned or faxed copy of the RTA, RMV-2 form, or the Section 5 registration application, rather than requiring a rubber stamp. The copy must be legible and…
RMV: Appointment-Only Online Reservation System & Other Measures
RMV: Appointment-Only Online Reservation System & Other Measures The RMV continues to take steps to minimize customer volume at physical locations, and has implemented an online reservation system for making appointments to conduct certain “necessary and required” in-person transactions at the eight open and operating RMV Service Centers. These essential transactions include certain CDL transactions…
Boston Software Providing FREE Tool to Create, Stamp & Submit RTAs to the Registry from Home
Boston Software Providing FREE Tool to Create, Stamp & Submit RTAs to the Registry from Home With so many agencies transitioning to work-from-home arrangements, Boston Software, in partnership with the RMV and MAIA, is providing free access to its SinglePoint Forms tool and carrier eStamps to allow agents to submit copies of Registration and Title…
Commercial Driver’s Licenses and Commercial Learner’s Permits
Commercial Driver’s Licenses and Commercial Learner’s Permits Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) expiration dates have NOT been extended. However, the RMV recognizes 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. The Milford RMV…
RMV Extends Deadlines on Non-Commercial Vehicle Inspections
RMV Extends Deadlines on Non-Commercial Vehicle Inspections To help customers maintain proper social distancing, Massachusetts RMV is extending expiration dates on annual motor vehicle safety and emissions inspections and newly registered vehicle inspections for non-commercial vehicles as follows:
Milford & Wilmington RMVs Doing CDL Transactions Exclusively
Milford & Wilmington RMVs Doing CDL Transactions Exclusively Commercial Driver’s Licenses (CDLs) and Commercial Learner’s Permits (CLPs) expiration dates have NOT been extended. However, the RMV recognizes the importance of commercial vehicle drivers to the supply chain during the state of emergency, so effective immediately, the Milford RMV and Wilmington RMV will exclusively perform commercial license/permit transactions.
RMV Directs Agents/Runners to Drop Off in Wilmington or Milford Only
RMV Directs Agents/Runners to Drop Off in Wilmington or Milford Only The MA RMV wants to direct all agents/runners to drop off bundles at either the Wilmington or Milford service center ONLY. Wilmington and Milford will process all B2B transactions and all IRP transactions. These branches are open only for drop off and not to…
RMV Service Centers CLOSED Mon-Tues 3/16 & 17
RMV Service Centers CLOSED Mon-Tues 3/16 & 17 RMV Closures
60-Day Extension on Expiring Driver’s Licenses, IDs, Learner’s Permits
60-Day Extension on Expiring Driver’s Licenses, IDs, Learner’s Permits All Massachusetts Class D and Class DM driver’s licenses, ID cards, and learner’s permits that have expired or are expiring between March 1, 2020 and April 30, 2020, will have a 60-day extension applied to the current expiration date. The RMV will implement this 60-day extension…
RMV Changes Timeframes for Registration Revocation
RMV Changes Timeframes for Registration Revocation The MA RMV has released a bulletin titled “Insurance Policy Management (IPM) Registration Revocation Timeframes” to alert insurance carriers and agents that the proposed implementation dates are changing for Revocation of Registration due to “No Policy” or “Expired Policy.” These additional revocation actions will be under review with the…
Special Bulletin: RMV Agrees to Delay New B2B Check Policy
Special Bulletin: RMV Agrees to Delay New B2B Check Policy Your voices have been heard. The implementation date for the RMV’s new B2B Check Policy, which states that RMV employees can no longer fill out checks for customers, has been moved from March 1 to March 30, 2020.
ATLAS Q&A, Straight from the RMV (UPDATED) – 3/1/2020
ATLAS Q&A, Straight from the RMV (UPDATED) – 3/1/2020 UPDATED Q&A as of 3/1/2020!(Includes all previous questions, plus several new ones.) MAIA’s Member Relations Advocate Kathy Cormier continues to field your ATLAS questions, seeking clarity from the MA RMV as needed. She has updated the list of ATLAS Q&As, and created a downloadable PDF that…
B2B Check Policy — Effective Date Moved to March 30, 2020
B2B Check Policy — Effective Date Moved to March 30, 2020 UPDATED Friday 2/29/2020
“Welcome Home” – New Special Plates
“Welcome Home” – New Special Plates Massachusetts’ new Welcome Home plate is a two-year passenger special plate whose proceeds will fund the Massachusetts Association of REALTORS® (MAR) Charitable Foundation. All pre-ordered plates have been delivered to RMV Service Centers.
RMV Makes New B2B Service Hours Permanent
RMV Makes New B2B Service Hours Permanent Agents and runners who handle the business-to-business (B2B) operations of bulk-related transactions should know that the RMV has made a permanent change to its B2B service hours. All items must be dropped off by 11:30 a.m. for same-day pickup by 4:30 p.m. Items dropped off after 11:30 a.m.…
Hands-Free Electronic Device Law
Hands-Free Electronic Device Law The “hands-free” law took effect in Massachusetts on February 23, 2020. This law (Chapter 122 of the Acts of 2019) prohibits operators of motor vehicles from using any mobile electronic device, including a cell phone, unless the device is used in hands-free mode. Drivers 18 and Over Drivers 18 and over…
If a Car Dealer Discusses Insurance with a Customer, We Want to Know!
If a Car Dealer Discusses Insurance with a Customer, We Want to Know! This seems like a good time to remind agents that car dealers are not allowed to discuss insurance with their customers, according to MA Division of Insurance (DOI) Bulletin #2010-16 (“Involvement of Motor Vehicle Salespeople in the Solicitation, Negotiation or Sale of…
Brockton Registry of Motor Vehicles Customer Service Center Temporarily Closed
Brockton Registry of Motor Vehicles Customer Service Center Temporarily Closed The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing that the Brockton Customer Service Center, at 490 Forest Avenue, is temporarily closed due to flooding caused by a water pipe that burst in the ceiling on Sunday, January 19. Building materials damaged by water must be…
Plate Cancellation Confirmation and Plate Cancellation Process
Plate Cancellation Confirmation and Plate Cancellation Process Great news! Agents can now print out a Plate Cancellation Receipt when you cancel a registration as a courtesy for your clients! CLICK HERE link to view a downloadable sample of the updated plate cancellation confirmation message, and screenshots to walk you through the process of printing the…
New Registration Requirement for Heavy Vehicles – Proof of HVUT Payment
New Registration Requirement for Heavy Vehicles – Proof of HVUT Payment Effective immediately, the MA RMV requires proof of payment of the Heavy Highway Vehicle Use Tax payment (IRS Form 2290/Schedule 1) to register motor vehicles with a taxable gross rate of 55,000 pounds or more. Form 2290 is now required for initial vehicle registrations…
Automatic Voter Registration
Automatic Voter Registration Effective January 1, 2020, the Automatic Voter Registration process was implemented as part of the Permit, License, or ID transaction for new applications and renewals. Under the requirements of a new state law, the RMV will provide basic information from all license transactions to the Secretary of State’s office for voter registration…
Identification Requirements For Motor Vehicle Or Trailer Registration
Identification Requirements For Motor Vehicle Or Trailer Registration In order to register a motor vehicle or trailer in Massachusetts, you must prove your identity by providing specific documents to the RMV: READ MORE.
RMV ATLAS Webinar Made Specifically for Insurance Agents
RMV ATLAS Webinar Made Specifically for Insurance Agents The RMV recently hosted an ATLAS webinar specifically for insurance agents that provided an update on key topics Insurance Policy Management (IPM, formerly UMS) program, and a demonstration of eService Portal functionality. The webinar recording is now available for on-demand viewing.
No More RMV-1 Forms Allowed… Except from DRIVE Dealers
No More RMV-1 Forms Allowed… Except from DRIVE Dealers As of Monday, December 16, 2019, the Registration & Title Application (RTA) is the required form for all MA Registry transactions. (The RTA is the new ATLAS form that combines and replaces the former RMV-1 and RMV-3 forms). However, DRIVE Dealers will still be sending agents the…
RMV Postpones USDOT Number Requirement on Some Commercial Vehicles
RMV Postpones USDOT Number Requirement on Some Commercial Vehicles The December 16 deadline we reported last week has passed, but the RMV has extended the deadline, which means that commercial vehicles under 10,001 lbs. and personal vehicles over 10,001 lbs. will NOT require a USDOT Number to register until early next year. The RMV will…
DOT Number Recipients Getting Fraudulent Marketing Calls
DOT Number Recipients Getting Fraudulent Marketing Calls The Problem: When your client secures a USDOT number, it becomes public record and there are companies out there that will immediately begin aggressively and fraudulently marketing to them, trying to get the client to pay them hundreds of dollars “to be in compliance” with federal regulations.
RMV to Host ATLAS Webinar on Wednesday
RMV to Host ATLAS Webinar on Wednesday The RMV is hosting an ATLAS webinar for Insurance Agents on Wednesday, December 11, 2019 from 10:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. EST.
Why Truck Owners with Commercial Plates Should Renew NOW!
Why Truck Owners with Commercial Plates Should Renew NOW! As of December 16, 2019, ATLAS will require USDOT numbers for every commercial registration in order to renew. This new RMV practice affects two vehicle categories that are NOT required to have USDOT numbers: 1) trucks that are used in commerce in MA but weigh under…
Driver’s Manual Updated
Driver’s Manual Updated A new 11/2019 Driver’s Manual (English version) is now in the RMV warehouse and will soon be distributed to all RMV Service Centers. It is already available on the RMV website (www.mass.gov/rmv). The new version has a burgundy cover that features an image of cars driving down a country road.