| Glen Burnie, Md. (January 30, 2020) – As part of its commitment to provide premier customer service, the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) is adjusting hours at several branch offices to better serve customers across the state. Beginning March 7, MDOT MVA will extend Saturday hours to 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the branch offices in Baltimore City, at 5425 Reisterstown Road, Baltimore, and White Oak, 2131 Industrial Parkway, Silver Spring. Both of those branches currently close at noon Saturdays. The additional hours will create 190 additional appointments between the two locations to help customers comply with the October 1, 2020, deadline for federal REAL ID.
Based on analysis of customer volume, MDOT MVA also will adjust previously extended hours at the several branch offices to close at 3 p.m. Saturdays, instead of 4:30 p.m. Weekday hours will not be affected. These branches are:
- Bel Air, 501 West MacPhail Road, Bel Air;
- Beltsville, 11760 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville;
- Columbia, Columbia Business Center, 6490 Dobbin Road, Columbia;
- Frederick, 1601 Bowman's Farm Road, Frederick;
- Glen Burnie, 6601 Ritchie Highway, N.E., Glen Burnie;
- Parkville, North Plaza Shopping Center, 8966 Waltham Woods Road, Parkville;
- Walnut Hill, 16520 S. Westland Dr., Gaithersburg; and
- Westminster, 1106 Baltimore Blvd., Westminster.
Beginning in 2019, MDOT MVA extended hours at many branch offices to make additional appointments available to customers. Since then, staff has been able to process more than 17,000 additional driver’s services transactions as a result of the extended hours. These efforts have contributed to more than 2.8 million Marylanders – or 61 percent – becoming REAL ID compliant, well above the 34 percent national compliance rate announced this month by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Data analysis shows customer volume drops significantly at 3 p.m., and that 80 percent of customers served during extended hours are seen between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. Appointments will be reallocated to maintain the current availability while providing more customer options during peak hours.
“We are always looking for ways to improve customer experience, especially during high-volume periods,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer. “We strive to provide our customers with fast, friendly service in ways that best meet their needs, and we believe this is the most effective use of our resources in preparation for the October 1, 2020, federal REAL ID deadline.”
Branch offices not mentioned above will continue to be open Saturdays from 8 a.m. to noon for walk-ins and appointments. Currently there are more than 28,000 appointments available weekly throughout the state. Additionally, MDOT MVA has implemented several time-saving customer service initiatives, including new specialty service centers in Glen Burnie, Parkville, Columbia and Walnut Hill, and services available online and at 24-hour kiosks.
Marylanders are encouraged to visit MVA.Maryland.gov and use the REAL ID Look Up Tool to learn their REAl ID status and make an appointment online, which comes with a guarantee of being seen in 15 minutes or less of the appointment time.
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