Massachusetts DOT Registry of Motor Vehicles program initiatives receive AAMVA awards

Awards recognize RMV’s fraud prevention and detection efforts, Alternate Residency Affidavit Program, and educational road test videos

The Massachusetts Registry of Motor Vehicles (RMV) is announcing that it has been selected to receive awards from the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) for it efforts in implementing new fraud and prevention initiatives, developing an Alternate Residency Affidavit Program, and creating four new educational videos that can be used to prepare for road tests.

“The Registry continues to develop new resources and tools that can be used by our staff and our customers to help prepare and safely complete RMV services and transactions, and these AAMVA awards exemplify these efforts, said Acting Registrar of the Registry of Motor Vehicles Jamey Tesler. “I would like to thank the members of the RMV staff and our state partners who worked with us on these initiatives which will help support and protect customers across the Commonwealth.”

“I am proud of the superb work done by Trooper Thompson and our entire State Police unit that works closely with the RMV to protect the agency and its customers from criminal fraud,” said Colonel Christopher Mason, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police. “License fraud is a serious matter and we are committed to working with the RMV to identify and stop it.”

The AAMVA award categories, RMV initiatives and descriptions are as follows:

Regional & International Award for Security Fraud Prevention and Detection, Motor Vehicle Agency

• The Registry worked with its Massachusetts State Police partners to develop custom queries that identified the excessive use of certain IP and email addresses within the RMV’s system to spot and stop suspected fraudulent activity in the online duplicate license transaction process.

Regional & International Award for Security Fraud Prevention and Detection, Law Enforcement Individual

• Massachusetts State Police Trooper James M. Thompson, a member of the State Police Fraud Identification Unit, was recognized for his investigation tracking and identifying online duplicate license fraud over the course of 2019. The investigation conducted with federal and local law enforcement partners, culminated in a roadside arrest of a suspect pulling licenses from residential mailboxes.

Regional Recognition Award, Community Service

• The Alternate Residency Affidavit Program helps individuals without permanent housing get the RMV’s residency requirement to become eligible for a Massachusetts identification card. The RMV works with organizations across the Commonwealth that are providing housing services through an established registration process to help the ID card applicant meet the residential street address requirement.

Category & Division Award, Public Affairs and Consumer Education

• “Preparing for Massachusetts RMV Road Test” educational videos – The Registry’s Road Test Program worked collaboratively with the Digital Services team from the Executive Office of Technology Services and Security to create educational videos to help individuals prepare for road tests. The four videos seek to relieve applicants’ anxiety when preparing to take a road test and are as follows: 1) Getting Ready at the Service Center; 2) Driving the Car; 3) Maneuvers; and 4) Getting the Grade Back at the Service Center. The videos are available at https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzBxrvXzs-5HnqKlx5HIwAyNKvstdK2pR.
AAMVA is a nonprofit organization developing model programs in motor vehicle administration, law enforcement and highway safety. The association also serves as an information clearinghouse in these areas and acts as the international spokesman for these interests. In addition, their programs encourage uniformity and reciprocity among states and provinces.

AAMVA’s awards program fosters a tradition of excellence in the motor vehicle and law enforcement community by honoring individuals, teams, and organizations that have committed their time and resources to safety initiatives, outstanding customer service, and public affairs and consumer educational programs throughout North America.