Inside Look at new RI DMV Headquarters

CRANSTON, R.I. (WPRI) - Rhode Island's new headquarters for the Division of Motor Vehicles will open at it's Cranston location on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Eyewitness News was given special access inside the building for a look at the improvements.

The 70,000 square foot building will have operations spread across three floors.

It features state-of-the-art equipment, is modern, clean and has plenty of marked signs and space.

"As the public gets exposed to this, they're going to see... all the things that we are changing and doing to try and make it a better process for all of our citizens," Governor Donald Carcieri explained.

Each floor is dedicated to a specific DMV operation.

Plate pick-up and drop-off is located on the first floor.

License and registration is on the second floor.

There is even a cafe and multiple waiting rooms equipped with flat-screen TVs that will broadcast DMV information, trivia and news.

Officials say not only is the building fancy, but more importantly, it will be far more efficient.

"The agency that most Rhode Islanders have to deal with out of any state agency is the Division of Motor Vehicles," Speaker of the House Gordon Fox said. "It's not something they want to do. It's not something they like to do. It's something they have to do because of safety."

The new DMV is located at the state-owned Forand Building at 600 New London Avenue in Cranston.

It will officially be open for business at 8:30am on Wednesday.