RMV waives REAL ID upgrade fees next year for those who renew licenses this summer

BRAINTREE — For the more than half-a-million people with a Massachusetts driver's license or identification card expiring this summer, the Registry of Motor Vehicles is offering to waive the fees for upgrading to a REAL ID next year if people renew their standard licenses online by Aug. 12.

Those who qualify for the deal and choose to participate will have to wait until at least February 2021 to visit an RMV Service Center for the upgrade to REAL ID for free. The federal government has delayed requiring REAL ID cards for the purposes of boarding domestic flights until October 2021.

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"We hope they will all take advantage of this one-time offer for a free, future upgrade to allow the RMV to prioritize ‘social-distancing’ and other essential transactions that may only be completed in-person," said RMV Registrar Jamey Tesler.

The fee for renewing a standard driver's license is $50 and a standard ID card is $25. REAL ID cards cost the same, but the RMV said it will waive a later upgrade fee for those who renew standard cards now.

"This one-time, time limited offer is available to most customers who have an expired or expiring license or ID card dated between March 2020 and August 2021, as renewals are allowed up to two years after expiration, or up to a year in advance of the expiration date printed on their license or ID," officials wrote.

Additionally, because of the coronavirus crisis, the RMV has announced automatic extensions to many expiring licenses and ID cards:

• Driver’s licenses and ID cards that expired or will expire in March, April, and May 2020 will now expire in September 2020.

• Driver’s licenses and ID cards that will expire in June have been extended until October 2020.

• Driver’s licenses and ID cards that will expire in July have been extended until November 2020.

• Driver’s licenses and ID cards that will expire in August have been extended until December 2020.

Online ID renewals and several other standard RMV transactions can be completed online at Mass.Gov/RMV.