Three Vermont DMV locations will soon reopen for in-person services — in Rutland, South Burlington and Montpelier — Gov. Phil Scott announced Friday.
“We’ll be talking about that next week,” Scott said at his twice-weekly press conference Friday. “There’ll be three major facilities that will be opening up for some in-person services.”
Scott said he will make an announcement next week about the reopening of the Rutland, South Burlington, and Montpelier DMV offices.
The governor said once the state “proves itself” with successful openings of the initial three locations, they will continue expanding reopenings statewide. Scott said the strategy is meant to ensure the state can “walk before we run.”
In a written statement, DMV Commissioner Wanda Minoli said the DMV’s partial reopening will be by appointment only, and that more information will be available soon.
“The systems needed to support the re-opening are in the final testing phase,” Minoli wrote. “The DMV is also finalizing space in its buildings that has been re-fit to support staff and customers to ensure the safest experience possible under COVID.”
The Department of Motor Vehicles has been closed since Scott first issued a state of emergency in March. Since the spring, the DMV has had an extremely gradual reopening, beginning with driver’s license and permit tests, which rolled out in June.
Over the summer, the department has built out online, phone, and mail services, including permit testing, which can now be completed entirely online. The DMV has also added staff to handle an increased call volume.
Exams for commercial drivers licenses, motorcycles, and driver’s licenses are currently available in Berlin, Colchester, Montpelier, Rutland and South Burlington by appointment, though all offices have remained closed for in-person services.
In an interview with VTDigger in May, Minoli said the DMV is often one of the most crowded indoor spaces in the state, which made it so difficult to quickly reopen, like other businesses were able to do.
“It’s not uncommon when one of our young Vermonters takes a driver’s exam for them to bring their whole family,” she said. “How do we manage to protect the public as well as our employees in that situation?”
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