BUFFALO, N.Y. — 2 On Your Side has received hundreds of phone calls, emails and text messages about when the Department of Motor Vehicles will be open for business again.
Erie County Clerk Michael P. Kearns spoke with 2 On Your Side's Karys Belger you answer viewer questions about the DMV. As elected officials begin discussing reopening parts of the state, questions about reopening DMV's and processing transactions like vehicle registrations and driver license renewals came up repeatedly.
2 On Your Side went to get some answers.
When will the DMV reopen?
Erie County Clerk Michael Kearns could not give a definitive answer about this. He told 2 On Your Side that he had not received any direction from the state about what phase the Department of Motor Vehicles fell into when it came to the governor's reopening plan. Kearns did say he hoped the offices could begin reopening by June 1st.
In the meantime, Kearns encourages Erie County residents to make an appointment to visit one of the DMV field offices.
Will I be able to go to a DMV in another county if the Erie County Offices are not open?
Kearns says the decision is up to officials in each respective county. Kearns has been in contact with members of the New York State Town Clerks Association and explained that every county is operating differently depending on size and status as far as COVID-19 cases.
Kearns recommends calling the office of the clerk in the county you want to visit and see if they are processing transactions from non-residents and proceed from there.
What if my license expires and the DMV is still closed.
Kearns says no one will face penalties for an expired license because of the circumstances surrounding the pandemic. This is also true for commercial driver's licenses.
Why can't my child do take their learner's permit test online?
Kearns explained he state would give direction on whether or not someone could take their permit test online. The procedure is not something he can implement without a directive from the state.