Big DMV Changes Mean No Written Exams Aug.19-24, Extra Travel Costs for Some Islanders

More changes at the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) means that no one in the state can take the driver's license written exam between Aug.19-24 and Middletown Branch customers will be redirected beginning Aug. 25 to take the written test in a new location resulting in additional travel costs of up to $8 round trip.

Beginning  Thursday, Aug. 19, 2010, the DMV's Middletown Branch will no longer direct customers to take the written tests for both the basic Driver's License  and the Commercial Driver's License (CDL) at the DMV Headquarters located at the Pawtucket Branch because that branch will shut down, according to the DMV website. Instead, the DMV will move those services to its new Cranston branch at the Forand Building at 600 New London Avenue.

The Middletown Branch has offered all DMV services to the public with the exception of the Written Exam and has had to redirect customers about an hour's drive away to the Pawtucket Branch since the DMV consolidated its services statewide in recent years.

The estimated drive time from Aquidneck Island to Cranston takes about 45 minutes to an hour and will require taking the Jamestown toll bridge, which costs $8 round trip or as little as 91-cents each way under an EZ Pass commuter plan. Although travel times to the Pawtucket Branch can easily run just under an hour as well, Aquidneck Islanders could drive via north shore travel routes to take I-195 to I-95 into Pawtucket and avoid the Jamestown Bridge toll into south county.

The new Cranston office will re-open to the public almost a week after the Pawtucket Branch shut-down on Wednesday, August 25, 2010.

During the move, other DMV branch locations including the Middletown Branch will continue to maintain their current schedules, the DMV announcement stated.

However, the move and resulting shut-down means that the automated written exams for permits and licenses cannot be taken anywhere in the State of Rhode Island between Aug. 19-24, according to the DMV web site.

Instead, the DMV extended business hours at the Pawtucket branch for the public to take the test before Aug. 18. The extended hours are as follows:

• Operator Written Tests: 8:30 am to 3:30 pm. Customers must be inside the Pawtucket building by 3:15 pm.
• CDL Written Tests: 8:30 am to 3:00 pm.

DMV officials also noted that online and mail-in transactions will continue to be accepted and processed during the move. Additionally, AAA locations will continue to accept and process DMV transactions for AAA customers. Road tests appointments will be honored during this time, and the DMV Safety and Emission Garage will remain open to the public from 8:30 am to 3:30 pm.

Click here for additional information about changes to service at the Division of Motor Vehicles during the move.

The DMV Cranston Branch will be located at Forand Building, 600 New London Ave. Click here for directions.