Home → News →The Secretary Reminds Mainers of the Ability to Run a BMV Business Online
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Customer visits up at BMV branches up 22 percent this summer
August 12, 2022 This may interest you : The state disciplines health service providers | Washington State Department of Health.
AUGUSTA — Bureau of Motor Vehicles data shows weekly customer visits increased by 22 percent during the summer of 2021. For the first week of August, there were 11,371 total customer visits in 2022. In 2021, the same week saw 7,954 customer visits.
“Summer is a busy time at the BMV, and 2022 is busier than we’ve ever been,” said Secretary of State Shenna Bellows. “Mainers should be aware that many of the transactions they want to complete are available online – and can be done at their convenience.”
BMV branch offices are located throughout the state and are open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. for walk-in service. Online services are available around the clock at https://www.maine.gov/sos/online_services/index.html.
Common online BMV transactions are vehicle registration renewals; driver’s license or state ID renewal or replacement; limit payments; Substitutes for vehicle titles; and motor vehicle title lien releases. The most online transaction that the BMV offers is the payment of driver’s license reinstatement fees.
“People may not realize that the summer months are the BMV’s busiest time. This is because people tend to buy new motorcycles or vehicles in the summer rather than the winter. In addition, we see new visitors from summer residents and students home for the summer,” said Deputy Secretary of State for BMV Cathie Curtis. “We’ve worked hard to increase online services to give Mainers greater options to save time and process their needs as efficiently as possible.”
Mainers must visit a branch in person to be issued a compliant REAL ID license or State ID. The REAL ID compliant credential is optional for Mainers. However, as of May 3, 2023, those who only have a standard Maine license or State ID will not be able to use it as identification for federal purposes, such as boarding a commercial aircraft.
On average, it takes 10-14 calendar days for an ID card or diver’s license to be mailed to a customer, so BMV wants to make sure Mainers submit their application well in advance of their expected travel dates. For more information about REAL ID in Maine, including a checklist of documents required to obtain the credential, visit www.maine.gov/sos/bmv/licenses/realid.html.
