Glen Burnie, Md. (April 25, 2019) – The Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration (MDOT MVA) is extending hours at several of its branches as part of the commitment to provide premier customer service for Marylanders as they submit required documentation for federal REAL ID. Beginning Tuesday, May 7, MDOT MVA will offer extended hours at its Baltimore City, Easton, Essex, Frederick, Gaithersburg and Westminster branch locations. The offices will serve customers from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays and from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturdays, for driver’s license services only. Additionally, the Loveville branch in St. Mary’s County, which previously was not open Saturdays, will have hours for driver’s license services only between 8 a.m. and noon Saturdays.
In total, MDOT MVA has added 868 appointments to its weekly schedule during the extended hours at these seven locations. The additional service hours will continue through Tuesday, July 2.
“We appreciate how precious our customers’ time is,” said MDOT MVA Administrator Chrissy Nizer. “We are pleased to offer these extended hours in several locations across the state. MDOT MVA has more than 3,000 appointments available statewide each day. We encourage customers will take advantage of the opportunity to make an appointment with a guarantee to be seen in 15 minutes of the scheduled appointment time.”
In March, MDOT MVA began extended hours Tuesdays and Saturdays at eight high-volume branches: Annapolis, Bel Air, Columbia, Glen Burnie, Largo, Parkville, Waldorf and Walnut Hill. The extended hours at those branches will end Saturday, May 4. More than 3,500 customers have received service during these extended hours. All of MVA’s 24 branch locations continue to serve customers from 8:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Thursdays and open at 8 a.m. Saturdays.
The federal REAL ID Act was passed by Congress after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks and creates standards for secure driver’s licenses and ID cards nationwide. As of October 1, 2020, all Marylanders must have documents on file and be REAL ID compliant in order to use a state-issued driver’s license or ID card to board an airplane or enter federal government facilities. The federal REAL ID Act requires residents to bring in documentation of age and identity, social security and two documents proving a Maryland residential address.
Customers are encouraged to visit the REAL ID webpage to determine their REAL ID status. The website provides a guide that allows customers to go through a checklist of documents acceptable for REAL ID, and contains a toolkit with videos, sample communication and more to help prepare family, friends, employees, students and others for the October 1, 2020, federal REAL ID deadline. The site also walks people through the process of making an online appointment. MDOT MVA recently began calling customers to remind them of their appointments and ensure they are prepared for a REAL ID visit.
NOTE: Join MDOT MVA at the Towsontown Spring Festival and learn more about REAL ID from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday, May 4; and 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, May 5. |
