DMV to Close All Offices; Licenses, IDs, Registration to Be Extended
The state Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) announced late Saturday that all of its offices statewide have been closed until further notice as part of Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.
While offices are closed, expiration dates for driver licenses, non-driver IDs and registrations will be extended. In addition, road tests will be suspended until further notice.
“These are extraordinary times and at the direction of Gov. Cuomo we are taking broad action to protect the health and safety of the public and our workers,” said DMV Commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder. “We will continue to offer a wide selection of online transactions during this shutdown so New Yorkers can continue to do business with the DMV.”
In addition to road tests, all in-office reservations and salvage vehicle appointments will be canceled.
Any driver’s license, non-driver ID or registration with a March 2020 expiration will be extended until further notice. The current 45-day temporary vehicle registration issued by auto dealers will also be extended. This extension does not apply to insurance coverage requirements. Motor vehicle liability insurance coverage must be maintained during this extension period.
More than 60 online transactions remain available to customers, including pleading or paying New York City traffic tickets, renewing a license or registration, ordering a custom plate, obtaining a driver’s record and changing an address, among others. Customers can also return their license plates and complete many other transactions by mail.
Prior to Cuomo’s executive order, the DMV took steps to significantly reduce the number of customers in its offices and slow the spread of COVID-19. It implemented a reservation-only policy, reduced its hours of operation and postponed all traffic hearings scheduled for next month in its eight traffic violation bureaus.
The DMV also prohibited visitors from accompanying customers. All other companions such as friends or relatives who were not conducting business with the DMV were required to wait outside of the office.
The DMV had also advised customers to only visit an office for urgent matters that could not be completed online, and strongly recommended that customers stay home if they were feeling ill, had flu-like symptoms or were part of the population that was possibly exposed to COVID-19.
For more information visit dmv.ny.gov or follow DMV on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Martin has more than 30 years experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, including a frequent focus on zoning and planning issues. He has been editor-in-chief of The Examiner since its inception in 2007. Read more from Martin’s editor-author bio here. Read Martin’s archived work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/martin-wilbur2007/