Politics & Government
DMV Written & CDL Tests Now Held in Cranston
Starting Aug. 25, DMV Middletown Branch customers will take the Driver's License or CDL written tests at the new DMV state headquarters in Cranston, which opens today.
Effective immediately, Aquidneck Island area residents must go to Cranston to take the written driver's license exam or the written test for a Commercial Driver's License (CDL).
That's because the state Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV)'s new headquarters in Cranston begins operations Wednesday, Aug. 25 and the new location will be the only DMV office in the state to provide both written exam test services. The new headquarters and written test center is located at the Forand Building at 600 New London Avenue, Cranston.
The Middletown DMV Branch will continue to maintain its current schedules and services, DMV officials said.
Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
The DMV Middletown Branch has offered all DMV services to the public with the exception of the Written Exam and previously 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 agency last week moved its headquarters from Pawtucket to Cranston and, during the shut-down, no one in the state could take either test anywhere until the new Cranston branch headquarters re-opened on Aug. 25.
Find out what's happening in Middletownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
For Aquidneck Islanders, the travel distance to the new DMV testing center is 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 had the option of driving via north shore travel routes to take I-195 to I-95 into Pawtucket and avoid the Jamestown Bridge toll into south county.
The recent changes at the DMV do not affect online and mail-in transactions and AAA locations will continue to accept and process DMV transactions for AAA customers, DMV officials said.
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.
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