Department of Motor Vehicle software upgrade puts hold on customer service

Starting Friday afternoon, New York State Department of Motor Vehicles will suspend in-person, online and  phone services for several days as it replaces its outdated technology systems.

As of 2 p.m. Friday, DMV locations across Long Island and the state will close their doors, according to a department news release. Here’s what you need to know:

Why is the DMV closing?

The DMV must halt services to install and test the new software that has been developed over the past two years, the department said. The upgraded system will make routine transactions at the DMV "more efficient for our staff and for customers alike," Walter McClure, the department's director of public information, told Newsday.

How will I be affected by the service shutdown?

New Yorkers must wait until Wednesday to perform any transaction at the DMV, such as renewing a license or registering a vehicle. Even completing a change of address, retrieving a driving record and other tasks drivers can routinely perform online from their home, will not be possible during the multiday closure.

When will services be restored?

All DMV locations are slated to reopen at the start of business Wednesday, according to the release. Online and phone services that allow New Yorkers to handle matters from home will also return Wednesday.

While DMV workers have trained for the upgrade, the department asked "for patience as we adjust to the new system in the days immediately after it launches," DMV commissioner Mark J.F. Schroeder said in the release.

Why is the DMV performing these upgrades?

DMV employees currently rely on "hundreds of software applications, some of which date back to the days of Nelson Rockefeller," Schroeder said. Once service resumes, department employees will use a single, "consolidated" system "rather than moving between outdated" platforms, he added.

Transitioning to a single computer program through which DMV employees can process transactions pertaining to driver's licenses, learner's permits and other identifying documents should help reduce the time each visitor spends in the DMV, McClure said.

"It should streamline the process and give the customer a more efficient transaction," McClure said in a Thursday phone interview. "If you're going into one system and everything is going to be at your fingertips in one spot ... it should be quicker."

The upgraded system will also allow for New Yorkers to handle "additional" transactions online, according to the release.

The department will similarly suspend services for another update in 2028, after which employees can access registration, insurance and other information in a unified system, according to McClure.