Middletown DMV to Close Friday

The Middletown branch of the state’s (DMV) will close at the end of day on Friday.

Rhode Island DMV Administrator Sally Strachan on Monday announced the closure in a press release, stating that the disruption of services will be temporary as the DMV seeks an alternate site. The Middletown branch is closing on Feb. 11 due to the completion of its lease, Strachan stated.

“The building they're in is too big," State Senator Lou DiPalma told Patch. “It used to house the Department of Labor and Training branch too, but now it’s just been the DMV and they don’t need all that space anymore.”

He and other local area lawmakers have been working to ensure that the local DMV branch stays on Aquidneck Island, specifically in Middletown, DiPalma said. Ideally, they're hoping for as little down-time as possible, while the state finds an alternate location as fast as possible.

"This is a crucial service to have on Aquidneck Island," DiPalma said. "We want zero interruption of services."

State officials have also confirmed the Aquidneck Island branch will reopen somewhere in Middletown and that a search for a new location is already underway. “The DMV is committed to opening as soon as a suitable space becomes available,” Strachan stated in the press release. “The Department of Administration (DOA) has made every effort to secure a new Middletown site and continues to do so. DOA is currently engaged in a request-for-proposal process to identify a new space and will evaluate proposals in a timely fashion.”

DiPalma said some of the considerations in choosing the new site include ample parking, easy access for area residents and for the site to be accessible by a bus route.

Until a local branch reopens, Aquidneck Island customers will be directed to other DMV offices across the state, such as the Wakefield branch that will have expanded hours Monday through Friday, from 8:30 am to 3:30 p.m., to accommodate the additional customers. All other DMV locations and branches will remain on their current schedule, the release stated.

In the meantime, all DMV employees from the Middletown branch will be reassigned to either the Wakefield or Cranston locations to help staff there accommodate the extra Aquidneck Island customers, according to the DMV statement.

Applicants with road tests scheduled at the Middletown branch after Feb. 11 will be able to take their tests at the same date and time, however they will be redirected to take it at the DMV’s main road testing site at 325 Melrose Street, Providence. Applicants may opt to change the appointment by calling (401) 462-1642. All applicants currently scheduled for road tests at the Middletown branch will be contacted by phone or mail, DMV officials said.

The nearest DMV Wakefield branch off Aquidneck Island is located at 4808 Tower Hill Road, Wakefield, RI 02879. The Wakefield branch will remain open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. until the new Middletown branch reopens.