AUGUSTA — On Monday, October 24th, the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) will unveil an appointment system for Mainers to schedule appointments at branch offices around the state. Secretary of State Shenna Bellows, Deputy Secretary of State for BMV Cathie Curtis, other BMV leaders, and local legislators will host press conferences to announce the new convenience for customers. Press conferences will be held in Augusta (11 a.m.) and Caribou (4 p.m.); please see below for details.
“Mainers lead busy lives, and for a variety of reasons, many people have limited time for errands like renewing their license,” said Secretary Bellows. “Launching appointments while maintaining walk-in options is a common sense step forward to better serve our customers.”
“Our branch office staff want to provide the best customer service they can and allowing customers to schedule appointments that work for them and their schedules will provide a more positive experience for our customers,” said Deputy Secretary Curtis. “Especially for working Mainers who need to take time off of work to do errands, this will be a time and money-saving improvement for them.”
Mainers will be able to schedule appointments online at a link that will be live on Monday. Each of the 13 branches across the state will have appointments available throughout each day. Mainers will be able to schedule appointments from one to 20 days ahead of time. Walk-in service will still be available as they are now to allow for flexibility for Mainers who prefer not to schedule ahead, or want to walk in.
BMV data shows that customer visits are up around 20 percent over previous years. In addition to scheduling appointments to provide ease of customer service to Mainers, Secretary Bellows and Deputy Secretary Curtis remind Mainers that many BMV transactions are available around the clock at https://www.maine.gov/sos/online_services/index.html.
Common online BMV transactions are vehicle registration renewals; driver license or state ID renewals or replacements; over-limits payments; vehicle title replacements; motor vehicle title lien releases; and driver license reinstatement fee payments.
Mainers must visit a branch in person to be issued a REAL ID-compliant license or State ID. The REAL ID-compliant credential is optional for Mainers. However, beginning May 3, 2023, those who have only 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 driver's license to be mailed to a customer.
AUGUSTA:
WHO: Secretary Bellows; Deputy Secretary Curtis; Public Services Division Director Bruno Inacio; Senior Section Manager for the Northern Region Patty Leighton; Sen. Matt Pouliot, R-Augusta; Rep. Raegan LaRochelle, D-Augusta
WHAT: Press conference to announce roll-out of BMV appointments system
WHEN: 11 a.m.
WHERE: BMV Augusta Branch, (19 Anthony Avenue, Augusta)
CARIBOU:
WHO: Secretary Bellows; Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash
WHAT: Press conference to announce roll-out of BMV appointments system
WHEN: 4 p.m.
WHERE: BMV Caribou Branch, (14 Access Highway Suite 2, Caribou)
