Blackout on DMV Written & CDL Tests Begins

Effective immediately, Aquidneck Island area residents should no longer travel to Pawtucket in hopes of taking either the written driver's license exam or the written test for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL).

Also, between Aug.19-24, no Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) customers anywhere in Rhode Island will be able to take either written test.

Other than that, the Middletown DMV Branch will continue to maintain its current schedules and services, according to recent DMV announcements.

The weeklong blackut to some DMV services is the result of the agency's move of headquarters from Pawtucket to Cranston and, because of previous service consolidations, no one in the state can take either test anywhere until the new Cranston branch headquarters re-opens Aug. 25, according to the DMV website.

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.

The new headquarters and written test center will be located at the Forand Building at 600 New London Avenue, Cranston.

The DMV 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.

After the latest change is completed, the travel distance to the new DMV testing center will remain about the same. However, depending on which end of Aquidneck Island customers depart, many Middletown DMV Branch customers will incur new travel costs because of the Jamestown bridge toll they'll have to pay from now on to reach the new Cranston headquarters. The Jamestown toll bridge costs $8 round trip or as little as 91-cents each way under an EZ Pass commuter plan. To reach the Pawtucket branch, 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.

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

For driving directions to the new DMV Cranston Branch at the Forand Building, 600 New London Ave, click here.