RMV sets aside goal of service in 30 minutes as Real ID snags continue
The Registry of Motor Vehicles has a longstanding goal of serving 80 percent of motorists in less than a half-hour.
But with long lines at branch offices after the recent launch of a new driver’s license system, RMV officials have lowered their sights, at least temporarily.
The more modest goal: serving 80 percent of customers within a full hour, twice as long as before.
“We want our customers to have a reasonable expectation,’’ said Stephanie Pollack, the state’s transportation secretary. “And we also want our employees to be able to succeed.’’
The shift in ambition reflects the struggles RMV branches have experienced since the start of the new driver’s license system, called Real ID.
On March 26, the state began issuing the license, which complies with stricter federal rules, and drivers immediately faced major delays, some as long as five hours. On the first day the new licenses were issued, the average wait time for any transaction at a branch office statewide was more than two hours.
To obtain a Real ID, which after October 2020 will be the only acceptable driver’s license for boarding a flight, motorists must provide several documents, such as proof of citizenship or legal residency. The Real ID can only be obtained in person. Standard Massachusetts licenses can be obtained online.
New state rules also require drivers to provide more documents when they renew a standard Massachusetts license, even if they don’t opt for Real ID. The state has also installed new software to facilitate the changes.
The combined effect: licenses are taking longer to renew. It takes employees longer to review the documents, and they are still getting used to the new software system and licensing processes, Pollack said.
State motor vehicle offices everywhere have a reputation for slow service, an image so ingrained that in the animated film Zootopia, the local branch is staffed by sloths.
But before the launch of Real ID, the registry had some success in fighting that image. In January and February, more than 90 percent of drivers were served in less than 30 minutes — giving credence to Governor Charlie Baker’s assertion that RMV service had improved under his administration.
But in the first two weeks of Real ID issuances, fewer than 45 percent of passengers waited 30 minutes or less, and more than 30 percent had to wait more than an hour.
Pollack said the state is “not losing sight’’ of the 30-minute goal, but for now are recalibrating expectations. By the end of April, the goal is to serve 80 percent in under an hour.
“We’re not sure, exactly, how long it’s going to take’’ to return to previous levels of service, she said.
States have been gradually introducing Real ID licenses since the federal government established new identification rules in 2005.
To prevent longer lines, RMV officials have urged drivers not to rush in for a new license until their current one expires. Drivers can use passports or other federal identification to board flights after October 2020.
The RMV warned in advance that the new Real ID system would cause delays. But that hasn’t quelled complaints.
Mike Cokely, who lives in Methuen, waited more than four hours in late March to register a trailer at the Lawrence branch. The experience was so frustrating that he promptly joined AAA, which can process registry business for its members.
“I won’t have to step foot inside of an RMV again,’’ he said. “You try standing there for five hours with kids screaming and crying, and they haven’t called someone up in an hour.’’
Pollack said officials are trying to make quick improvements in branch offices, such as directing complicated transactions to more senior employees or managers. She also advised motorists who are due for a new license to fill out an online pre-application before heading to the registry. Since the system change, less than 20 percent have done so, Pollack said.
Delays appear to be improving, Pollack said.
The rate of drivers served in less than an hour reached 76 percent last Thursday. But at the downtown Boston branch, for example, only 41 percent of people were served that quickly.
At some branches, the amount of time spent at a counter completing a license renewal or other transaction has dropped significantly in the last two weeks. But even when renewal times are at their lowest, Pollack said, it’s “still a little longer than it used to take.’’
“That’s a new reality for our customers,’’ she said.
