Yeah, I’ve never seen anyone get away with less paperwork at the RMV. Last time, I brought a folder thick enough to be a novel, and they still wanted one more form. Digital copies? They just stare at you like you’re speaking another language. Just easier to bring everything, even if it feels ridiculous.
Digital copies? They just stare at you like you’re speaking another language.
Funny thing, I actually had a different experience last month. I brought both paper and digital versions, just in case, and the clerk was surprisingly cool with scanning my phone for a couple docs. Maybe I lucked out with someone tech-friendly? Still brought my “novel” of paperwork though—old habits die hard. Guess it depends who you get behind the counter.
Honestly, I’ve had the opposite luck—every time I try to show something on my phone, they just squint at it and ask for the paper anyway. Maybe it’s a location thing? I still double up, but man, it feels like overkill.
That’s actually super common around here. I know tech is supposed to make our lives easier, but in MA, a lot of the RMV folks and even some cops just feel better with paper in hand. It does feel like overkill, but I always tell people to keep both versions handy—just in case. Maybe one day they’ll catch up with the times... until then, you’re definitely not alone in doubling up.
in MA, a lot of the RMV folks and even some cops just feel better with paper in hand. It does feel like overkill, but I always tell people to keep both versions handy—just in case.
This is way too real. I actually tried to go “all digital” last year when I renewed my registration—figured I’d save a tree or two and avoid the paper clutter. Nope. The RMV lady looked at my phone like it was a magic trick and then asked if I had the paper copy anyway. Ended up sprinting back to my car to dig through the glovebox for the crumpled old copy just so she’d process it.
I get that tech can be glitchy, but sometimes it feels like we’re prepping for a zombie apocalypse with all this paperwork backup. That said, I do keep both now... lesson learned after one too many “do you have the physical version?” moments. Maybe someday we’ll just tap our phones and be done with it, but for now, my glovebox is basically a filing cabinet on wheels.