Right up front, let me begin by saying “This isn’t your parents DMV”. I was shocked to be in and out of the DMV in 30 minutes with my new Amateur Radio plates in hand. The last time I went there, probably two decades ago, it was an all day affair.
I only experienced two minor problems. The clerk had never dealt with an Amateur Radio plate before (plate type “18”). He informed me that I could not put that plate onto a truck. I was armed with the facts and handed him a copy of my plate application which included the RI law 31-3-39 that stated it could be used on any vehicle with a GVW of 9000 lbs or less, so he went to his supervisor who explained how it was done.
The second problem was my misunderstanding — I was under the impression that the fee would be $31.50 for new plates. Instead it was $54.50. This was because they needed to cancel my original combination registration and issue a new registration. The new registration expires 3 months later than the original one did, so it wasn’t a total loss.
And as of this morning, the plates are on my truck.
