Sign Up for the Mass. Registry Electronic Reminder Service

When presenting my driver’s license for identification, I recently discovered that it was expired. Although I was aware that the Registry stopped the expensive process of mailing out license expiration notices, as a necessary cost saving measure, I never thought to check the expiration date of my license.  If I had been stopped by a police officer, I would have been subject to arrest for unlicensed operation, a charge which is considered a major motor vehicle violation for the purposes of 4 year Massachusetts Habitual Traffic Offender License Revocations.  Driving without a license is also a surchargeable event under the Mass. Safe Driver Insurance Plan, meaning that an unlicensed operation conviction can result in a substantial automobile insurance premium increase and it could trigger a 60 day 7 surchargeable event license suspension.

Fortunately, the Mass. RMV has implemented electronic renewal notification. By making smart use of technology, the Registry has saved thousands of dollars by replacing the old paper notification system with electronic notifications. Sign up for these notifications today, so that you remember to renew and do not get caught driving without a valid license. You can sign up for the free License Renewal Reminder Service via the Registry’s website. The Registry will not send out a reminder notice if your driver’s license is suspended or revoked. In those cases, the license suspension or revocation must be cleared prior to renewal. Also, you must pay any outstanding parking tickets, excise tax, or fast lane fines prior to renewal.

This program is an example of the Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles effectively using technology to save money and operate more efficiently. The Registry allows customers to conduct a variety of transactions on-line. In some cases, you can even renew your driver’s license on-line. Using the Registry’s on-line system, you can instantly check your Mass. driver’s license status and download your Massachusetts RMV Driving Record.

Because I needed to take a vision test, I could not renew on-line and I had to go to a Registry Branch. I renewed at the Boston Branch of the RMV in Chinatown, as I was there for hearings anyway.  The renewal process was smooth, painless, and relatively quick.