| CONTACT: | Buel C. Young
Caryn Coyle | | MVA Organization Relations
(410) 768-7386 |
GLEN BURNIE, MD (September 15, 2006) - The Maryland Motor Vehicle Administration (MVA) will re-institute a new and improved electronic appointment scheduling system for all applicants presenting out-of-country documents on Monday, September 18, 2006. Applicants presenting out-of-country documents must schedule an appointment by calling 1-800-950-1MVA (1682) to apply for their initial Maryland learner's permit, driver's license or identification card.
The MVA offered an appointment system in September 2003 and discontinued it in March of this year because there was widespread misuse. Many who made appointments were making multiple bookings or not showing up for their scheduled appointments. The MVA has undertaken a re-tooling of its appointment system and the upgrades will eliminate the ability to make multiple bookings. By serving the applicants presenting out-of-country documents by appointment, the excessively long lines experienced since the system was abolished, will be eliminated. No appointment is required for applicants who present a valid employment authorization card (I-688A, I-688B, or I-766), a valid passport with a valid United States visa, valid I-94 (refugee's arrival/departure record), or a valid permanent resident card (I-551). Applicants with this type of documentation may continue to visit any full service MVA office to conduct their transaction. For applicants lacking the type of documentation validated by the U.S. government named above, appointments can be scheduled Monday through Friday by calling 1-800-950-1MVA (1682). Customers presenting out-of-country documents can schedule their appointments at any of ten regional MVA offices: Baltimore, Bel Air, Beltsville, Frederick, Gaithersburg, Glen Burnie, Largo, Salisbury, Waldorf, or White Oak. Driver's licenses, permits and identification cards will be centrally produced at the Glen Burnie headquarters' location and mailed to the applicant's address on file. The new measure is an initial step in Maryland's efforts to comply with the Federal REAL ID Act and "central issuance" or the mailing of all documents to the citizen is an added security measure. A letter confirming the appointment will be sent to all applicants presenting out-of-country documents from the MVA when the appointments are made. The letter will outline the necessary documents one will be required to bring and remind the applicant that all documents must match the information on the appointment confirmation letter. The confirmation letter will highlight the appointment date, time, location and the applicant's name and date of birth. Transactions involving applicants presenting out-of-country documents represent only 5% of all driver-licensing transactions, yet are consuming nearly 17% of MVA's total available front line resources. There has been an unprecedented 233% increase in cases of individuals fraudulently applying for driver's licenses and identification cards over the last two years. "By re-instituting the appointment process, the MVA believes that service to all Maryland residents will vastly improve, along with the integrity of the Maryland driver's license and identification card," said MVA Administrator John T. Kuo. Customers are encouraged to visit the MVA website at www.marylandmva.com for further information. ### Return to Press Release Main Page | 
