Representatives Inform Public of RMV Changes

Representatives Jay Barrows, Elizabeth Poirier and Richard Ross had the following Letter to the Editor recently published in the Sun Chronicle.

In our capacities as State Representatives, we have always tried to keep our constituencies well-informed in regard to any governmental changes that may affect your everyday life. Recently, the Registry of Motor Vehicles made a major change in regard to notifying its customers about some of its major services, mainly license renewal. Due to the $2M that was cut by Governor Patrick in the Registry’s budget, Registrar Rachel Kaprielian has announced that the Registry will eliminate courtesy notices that are sent to customers for the following services:

· License and Mass ID Renewal Notices;
· Vehicle Inspection reminder letters for vehicles that are overdue for inspection;
· Inspector license renewal notices
· 7D license renewal notices;
· Driver’s Education Certificates;
· Junior Operator Brochures for Parents;
· Change of Address Labels.

As noted in a “Message from Registrar Kaprielian on RMV Budget Cuts”, “Like many businesses across the Commonwealth, the RMV is working to squeeze every penny of savings from our budget in the wake of a drastic downturn in the state’s economy.

To weather this financial storm, the RMV is adopting operational changes that, we believe, will minimize the impact on customer service in our branches.”

This letter is written out of concern for the many senior citizens we represent for fear that they will not know that these changes have been made. According to Chief Kenneth Walsh of the Wenham Police Department, if you are stopped and your license has expired, there could be major consequences. You could be charged with Operating Without a License, which is considered to be a criminal offense under Chapter 90, Section 10. Your car could be towed and impounded, all at your expense. Additionally, if brought to court, you could be fined between $100 and $1000.

Ultimately, it is now the sole responsibility of every license holder to look at their license on their birthday and check to see if their license is due to expire. The RMV is encouraging all customers to go to the website where you will find it easy to renew on-line www.mass.gov/rmv.

We also would like to bring to your attention that on November 3rd, the RMV delayed the opening hours of most branches by one-half hour from 8:30 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. Hours of operation also changed at the 18 branches that have extended hours to 7:00 p.m. on Thursday. These branches will now be open from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. Again, please check the website before going to the branches to make sure that they are open.

This is just the beginning of many major changes that will be coming in the near future. With revenues coming in around $1 Billion below expectations, it is very likely that additional cuts will be made to state government.

In closing, should you have any questions regarding the aforementioned changes or you have any questions regarding cuts to any state agency, please do not hesitate to contact us at (617) 722-2000.