BOSTON — Drivers beware. The Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) will close its offices and shut down its website beginning Thursday at 7 p.m. and reopening at 8 a.m. on Monday, March 26 for a major computer upgrade.
As a result, all RMV services including service centers, transactions at AAA offices, transactions online at MassRMV.com or Mass.gov/RMV, vehicle inspections at inspection stations and car registrations or vehicle inspections at car dealerships.
“Our new system will give you an easier, quicker, and more convenient experience with the RMV online, in person, by mail, and by phone,” a Registry statement said. “RMV partners, like law enforcement, the insurance industry, municipalities, and others will have more modern ways to do business with the RMV too. We’re very sorry for the inconvenience, but look forward to delivering you a better experience.”
The State House News Service reported in January the Registry upgrade allows the state to begin issuing driver’s licenses and state IDs on March 26 to comply with a 2005 federal security law.
That gives Massachusetts residents, according to the News Service, about two and a half years to obtain licenses that comply with the REAL ID Act before those types of documents become a requirement for domestic air travel.
Starting Oct. 1, 2020, Massachusetts drivers’ licenses that are not REAL ID compliant will no longer be accepted as identification for domestic air travel, accessing federal facilities or entering nuclear power plants, according to the News Service report.
Residents who want a driver’s license or state identification card that complies with REAL ID must will bring in some additional information, according to the News Service report. Citizens can bring in a certified copy of their birth certificates or a U.S. passport and non-citizens can bring immigration information that they would already have on hand.
Passports and military ID will remain valid forms of identification for plane travel.
Starting on March 26, people can renew their licenses a year early, the News Service reported, and they can also choose to obtain a state ID that does not meet the specifications of the REAL ID Act.