Hamden AAA Office Won't Renew Driver Licenses

By Jack Kramer, Patch Correspondent

HAMDEN, CT — Drivers no longer have the Hamden AAA office as an alternative to the crowded Department of Motor Vehicle offices as an option to renew their driver licenses.

DMV said it could not reach an agreement with the AAA franchise serving Fairfield and New Haven counties to continue licensing and ID card renewal services after Dec. 31, 2016.

The motor club has eight offices in Branford, Danbury, Fairfield, Hamden, Milford, Norwalk, Stamford, and Waterbury.

The agency has been in talks with this franchise after it notified DMV it would stop serving the general public and serve members only beginning in 2017. The impasse was announced today by DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra.

“The Department’s responsibility is first and foremost to the general public. We need to maintain service levels while controlling costs,” said Bzdyra. “As such, we cannot subsidize a private organization’s provision of DMV services if that organization is not willing to find ways to serve the general public,” said Bzdyra.

“We hope this AAA franchise will re-consider our proposals, which we feel were fair and workable. In light of this development, we will begin exploring other avenues to maintain access to services for the people of Connecticut,” continued Bzdyra.

The franchise, known as AAA Northeast, currently provides DMV licensing and ID card renewal services to the entire general public, but has sought to offer them only to its paying members beginning in January. The franchise started in 2001 offering these services to the general public.

The remainder of Connecticut is served by AAA Club Alliance, with local headquarters in West Hartford, and it will continue to provide services to all members of the general public throughout its eight offices around the state (Avon, Cromwell, Enfield, Manchester, Old Saybrook, Plainville, Waterford and West Hartford), said Karen Christiana, general manager of AAA Club Alliance.

In October the DMV served the Fairfield and New Haven county AAA with a notice of default after it abruptly stopped serving members of the general public in violation of a contract with DMV.

The motor club revised its position and agreed to continue providing licensing services to the general public through the end of the year.

Photo Credit: Jack Kramer