BMV: First day of new license rules ‘smooth’
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BMV: First day of new license rules ‘smooth’
BMV: First day of new license rules ‘smooth’
By Dawn Gagnon
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — Though personnel at Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices around the state were prepared for problems Monday, virtually none arose, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office said.
Monday marked the first day that people seeking a new or renewed state driver’s license or identification card had to prove they were living in the country legally.
To read the requirements click here.
“I would say today, day one, has been relatively smooth and we’re thankful it has been,” Don Cookson, spokesman for Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, said late Monday afternoon, as BMV offices around the state were closing for the day.
According to Cookson, staffers at the 13 BMV locations around Maine received additional training to assist those encountering the new rule.
Despite the media blitz that preceded the new requirement, some Mainers were caught unaware when they showed up at their local BMV site, Cookson said.
Numbers were not yet available Monday, but Cookson said that administrators in charge of the state’s 13 BMV office sites reported few issues.
Waiting periods at most locations were at or below normal, Cookson said. The exception was Portland, where the typically 45-minute wait was lengthened to about an hour.
The new proof of legal presence rule is the second such requirement imposed this year. In April, the state began requiring proof of residency, namely through a range of documents listing a current Maine address.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/93488.html

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GABOR DEGRE
By Dawn Gagnon
Staff Writer Bangor Daily News
BANGOR, Maine — Though personnel at Bureau of Motor Vehicles offices around the state were prepared for problems Monday, virtually none arose, a spokesman for the Secretary of State’s Office said.
Monday marked the first day that people seeking a new or renewed state driver’s license or identification card had to prove they were living in the country legally.
To read the requirements click here.
“I would say today, day one, has been relatively smooth and we’re thankful it has been,” Don Cookson, spokesman for Secretary of State Matthew Dunlap, said late Monday afternoon, as BMV offices around the state were closing for the day.
According to Cookson, staffers at the 13 BMV locations around Maine received additional training to assist those encountering the new rule.
Despite the media blitz that preceded the new requirement, some Mainers were caught unaware when they showed up at their local BMV site, Cookson said.
Numbers were not yet available Monday, but Cookson said that administrators in charge of the state’s 13 BMV office sites reported few issues.
Waiting periods at most locations were at or below normal, Cookson said. The exception was Portland, where the typically 45-minute wait was lengthened to about an hour.
The new proof of legal presence rule is the second such requirement imposed this year. In April, the state began requiring proof of residency, namely through a range of documents listing a current Maine address.
http://www.bangordailynews.com/detail/93488.html

BANGOR DAILY NEWS PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY GABOR DEGRE








