BROCKTON, Mass. — Tommy Rojas has spent more time thinking about the Registry of Motor Vehicles during the pandemic than he would like to admit.
“I keep going online, I try to register, I keep going on there every day and I can’t find an appointment to go there,” said Rojas, a truck driver in Lynn. “It’s just a pain, you know? How am I going to make more money to provide more jobs to employees?”
On March 27, due to the State of Emergency, the RMV shut down most of its local offices, and the ones that stayed open were limited, offering “essential” services, only.
Essential services include obtaining a commercial driver’s license or learner’s permit to assist with the supply chain during the State of Emergency, first-time registrations and registration reactivations, or transferring your license or registration from another state for residency, according to the RMV website.
"Essential" matters @MassRMV is doing per website:
— Evan White (@EvanWhiteIII) May 21, 2020
Obtaining a commercial driver’s license or commercial learner’s permit to assist with the supply chain during State of Emerg declaration
All 1st-time registrations and reactivations
Transferring license or registration @boston25
Only 10 of 30 RMV service centers are open, which does not include AAA locations that handle limited services for their members.
Boston 25 News spoke with Nia Cal, a Fall River woman whose 65-year-old father, a cancer patient, needs to have a valid license for the hospital to verify his insurance, but his license expires in June. She called the RMV 15 times, and was hung up on all but once, she said.
“(They) said he needs to go in (to a service center) and show his legal presence, and he also needs to take a new photo. I am getting frustrated because there is no protocol for people that are sick,” Cal said.
Two more:
— Evan White (@EvanWhiteIII) May 21, 2020
Hanson: woman with a gripe over expired registration ticket, couldn't get a court date without courts open, getting hit with fees and told her license may be suspended
Milford: New car owner waited a MONTH to get registration processed after paying on-time @boston25 https://t.co/ntsOm7B9jJ
Boston 25 News brought these concerns and others to the RMV and requested an interview which was declined.
A spokesperson said they anticipate an update for the public from the RMV Thursday or Friday on the status of various credential deadlines and other issues.
Boston 25 News also asked about the plan for reopening the RMV, how social distancing measures would be monitored and how soon 20 shuttered sites may reopen. We did not immediately hear back.
The RMV allowed extensions for expired Class D and Class DM driver’s licenses, ID cards and learner’s permits that expired or would expire between March 1 – May 31, along with professional credentials.
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