Norwalk DMV Office Not So 'Full Service' As of Friday

Starting Friday, those who need to take a road test for a driver's license (unless it's a commercial driver's license) will need to go to the Connecticut Department of Motor Vehicles Bridgeport branch office.

They won't do them in Norwalk any more.

The DMV is shifting some services from its 10 "full-service" branch offices, like Norwalk and Danbury, moving them to "centralized locations"—the nearest one is Bridgeport—as part of what it is calling "streamlining, cost-cutting and efficiency efforts in the agency." Office hours are also changing in Norwalk and other branch offices.

You also need to go there for an eye exam or if you need a new commercial driver's license or need to verify a vehicle information number (VIN).

The changes will go into effect on Friday, when the Norwalk office (and other branch offices, like the one in Danbury) will open starting at 7:45 a.m. rather than 8 a.m.

The department will make the changes regardless of whether state employees ratify their budget agreement, the DMV said.

The changes for each branch office can be found here, on the DMV website.  The Norwalk office changes are here.

At the site, click on the link of the office to find current  and new operating hours and services.

“The agency has been reviewing operations for several months with a focus on finding ways to regionalize some services and reduce costs,” DMV Commissioner Melody Currey said. “These new hours will help people conduct their business at the DMV before they go to work, after work on Thursdays, and on Saturdays."

She added, "We continue to encourage people to do as much of their DMV business online as possible.”

Full-service branches will remain closed on Mondays.  

The new hours at the state’s 10 full-service DMV branch offices will be:

• Tuesdays: 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.
 
• Wednesdays: 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Thursdays: 9:15 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

• Fridays: 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m.

• Saturdays: 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The DMV is regionalizing some services currently offered in offices in Danbury, Enfield, Hamden, New Britain, Norwalk, Norwich and Old Saybrook as well as the Winsted satellite office.  

Under the regional plan, the following services will be offered only at the Bridgeport, Waterbury, Wethersfield and Willimantic DMV offices:

• Walk-in knowledge testing.  The hours are changing to Tuesday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; Wednesday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.;  Thursday from 9:15 a.m. to 4 p.m.;  Friday from 7:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.; and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m.

• Road tests (non-commercial driver license road tests only).

• Out-of-state driver's license transfers.

• New non-driver identification cards for non-U.S. citizens.

• Vehicle identification number verifications.

• Eye tests.

• New commercial driver's licenses.

• Adding an endorsement to a driver's license or commercial driver’s license.

• Acceptance of application packets for public passenger endorsements.

All offices, including the ones in Norwalk and Danbury, will perform driver license and commercial driver license renewals, identification card renewals, duplicate identification cards and driver licenses, new non-driver identification cards for U.S. citizens only. They will also take care of name changes and the variety of registration and title services, except registration renewals.

On July 1, the DMV started enforcing an existing policy requiring all  renewals—both late and current—to be mailed. Customers bringing a registration renewal to an office will be given a pre-addressed envelope for mailing the registration to DMV’s processing unit.

The offices will also issue handicapped parking permits and copies of driver violation records.

Editor's note: A version of this article previously was published on Manchester Patch.