The New Hampshire Division of Motor Vehicles has scheduled its plans to implement upgrades to the new driver’s licensing system come October. The new system is set to replace the original driver’s license system that was initially implemented in the 1980s.
In order to implement the new system upgrades, NH DMV offices will be required to close on Monday, October 9, and Tuesday, October 10, which will temporarily limit certain services.
“Although temporarily closing DMV offices is required during this transition time, we are aware of how the closure will impact our customers,” DMV Director Elizabeth Bielecki said. “Hopefully, by providing advanced notice, we will minimize the inconvenience this closure will cause.”
According to state officials, town and city municipal clerks will not be able to process the state portion of vehicle registrations during the transition, from Friday, October 6, until Wednesday, October 11.
NH residents hoping to perform online DMV services during the transition will also be inconvenienced. Online services that allows driver’s to renew their driver’s licenses or pay for a ticket will not be available from Wednesday, October 4, through Wednesday, October 11.
Ticket pay-by-phone services will also be shut down from Monday, October 9, to Tuesday, October 10, in order to implement the new system.
Customers who need to perform urgent driver’s license and vehicle registration transactions in advance of expiration dates are urged to do so before the DMV office and service temporary shutdown.
The NH DMV also announced that, in the days following the implementation of the new licensing system, customers may face longer wait times than usual and should make an appointment ahead of time.
Residents can also save time by completing forms vital to the DMV transactions that need to be completed in advance.
“The NH Department of Safety, Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) is pleased to announce the implementation of a new driver licensing computer system later this month that offers improved reliability and enhanced functionality over the current outdated system,” the NH DMV said in a press release last February when the new system was initially implemented.
Residents can make appointments to visit their local NH DMV office before the temporary shutdown begins either by phone, in person or online.
“Our staff is well trained and has made every effort to ensure services will not be interrupted more than necessary during the implementation of the new system,” Bielecki said.
The last major change the NH DMV experienced was the new design of all driver’s licenses in January. The new state driver’s licenses and non-driver identification cards include new security features that were not available during the last redesign of the cards in 2008, officials said.