Farmington Residents: DMV Shutdown to Affect Many Services

Editor’s note: We published this story earlier in the week, but here it is again in case you missed it.

The Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles will close, except for licensing services, for one week after Saturday, August 8 to upgrade computer systems that will bring more online services to customers. The agency will re-open August 18 to the public.

Extensions will be given for expiring licenses, identification cards and registrations. This major change aims to help people avoid coming to DMV by doing business online with the agency.

When it re-opens, DMV (ct.gov/dmv) plans to offer the following new online services:

• Improved online registration renewal program.

• Online checks for items, such as unpaid property taxes, lack of insurance, delinquent parking violations, which can hold up a registration renewal and cause repeat trips to DMV.

• Reprints of registration certificates from home or other computers.

• Registration cancelations online.

• Online ordering of special plates, such as vanity plates.

• Online ordering of replacements for damaged plates.

• Electronic notification by providing customers with an option for DMV to contact them either by mail or e-mail.

• Streamline efficiency of technology in the agency to with services in branch offices.

DMV will stop all registration-related services to integrate and test the computer changes before real-time public use. Employees will report to work as scheduled to help test systems and practice on the new software.

The system upgrade does not affect licensing. All DMV offices next week will provide ID card and driver licensing services as well as honor all previously scheduled knowledge and road skills tests. AAA offices will also be open next week for driver license renewals and replacements.

To help ease the effects of the shutdown and bringing up a new system, beginning August 11, Governor Dannel P. Malloy and DMV Commissioner Andres Ayala, Jr. have ordered that the expiration date of all driver’s licenses, ID cards or vehicle registrations will be extended through October 10, 2015, and renewals can be done without a late fee until that date.

Emissions test due dates remain in effect and all other legal obligations related to DMV remain unaffected by the extension. Customers operating a vehicle under a registration extension must maintain insurance coverage.

In addition, customers purchasing vehicles next week from car dealers will receive temporary registration plates. However, those buying vehicles in private sales will need to wait until DMV re-opens Aug. 18 to register their vehicles.

“As we gear up for this new system upgrade, we expect our offices to be very busy and we ask our customers to carefully review all of their options before coming to DMV,” Commissioner Ayala said in a prepared statement. “If possible, take advantage of the deadline extension for current driver licenses and vehicle registrations, and consider visiting AAA to renew your driver license or ID card.”

“Customers will soon be able to ask themselves, ‘Do I really need to visit a DMV office?’ They will be able to get out of line and go online for many more services,” Commissioner Ayala said, adding that customers should expect longer than usual wait times in branch offices when the agency re-opens.

Customers are advised to check the DMV website for updates after the agency re-opens.

The DMV also has launched a radio, television and digital advertising campaign called “Gear Up” to make customers aware of the shutdown. It also informs customers of the new online services.

For more information about the DMV modernization project, please visit ct.gov/dmv.