Text of a press release from the Registry of Motor Vehicles
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REGISTRY OF MOTOR VEHICLES RESTORES LICENSE RENEWAL REMINDERS BY MAIL
RMV to send 90,000 birthday postcards each month
BOSTON – Monday, November 25, 2013— MassDOT Registrar of Motor Vehicles Rachel Kaprielian has announced birthday postcards will begin appearing in mailboxes this week across the Commonwealth to reminder drivers whose licenses expire in the month of December to renew online or head to a branch for a new picture.
“The Registry ended the license reminder service 5 years ago in a fiscal crunch; over time we have had to get creative and more cost effective in all aspects of our business,” said Registrar Kaprielian. “Today, supported by advertising dollars, we are proud to once again offer this service to our customers.”
The birthday postcard is personalized in order to provide the customer with the most efficient service possible by relaying one of two messages. The postcards will indicate if the driver is eligible to renew online at MassRMV.com or if it they must visit a branch.
A Massachusetts license is valid for five years and there are 4.75 million active licensed drivers in the Commonwealth today. Based on renewal rates, the RMV will send out between 87,000 and 92,000 postcard reminders monthly.
Every 10 years license holders need to visit one of 30 RMV branches across Massachusetts, or one of the RMV’s partner AAA offices, to have a new license photo taken as part of their credential renewal. Drivers age 75 and older at the time of renewal are required to have the renewal transaction completed in a branch or AAA office.
The end of the year is a busy time for the Registry; don’t wait until the last minute to renew. Drivers are encouraged to renew their license at least seven days prior to their birthday/license expiration to ensure that they have their new license in hand before the old license expires.
Moved recently? To guarantee the renewal postcard is sent to your correct address you will need to update the address you have on file with the Registry. You can update your address online; it is a free service at MassRMV.com.
For transportation news and updates visit MassDOT at our website: www.mass.gov/massdot, blog: www.mass.gov/blog/