Zanni

Q. My question concerns a refund of registration fee. Three months after registering my car I sold it and bought a new one. I mailed in the refund application over three months ago and have not received a response.

Does DMV still process refunds and does it really take this long?

A. Registration refunds are processed only for registrations that have been canceled with one full year remaining on the registration. For example, my registration was valid until January 2009, and I canceled my registration on Nov. 1, 2007. Since registrations are valid through the last day of the renewal month, my registration still has one full year remaining — from Feb. 1, 2008, to Jan. 31, 2009. If the period of time remaining on the registration is less than one full year, according to that example, no refund is issued.

A refund application must be submitted, properly signed and notarized and mailed to R.I. Division of Motor Vehicles, 100 Main St., Pawtucket, RI 02860, Attention: REFUNDS; or applications can be dropped off at any of our branch offices or at AAA offices.

Refunds are processed in batches and should take no more than 10 to 12 weeks from the date the application is received in the Pawtucket office. Due to an influx of refunds stemming from registration billing errors in the month of August, some refunds have been delayed. Since you did not give me specific information, please check your records to ascertain that you did indeed have one full year remaining on your registration when you submitted your refund application.

License renewal by mail

Q. My son will turn 18 in late November, when his provisional license will convert to a regular license. He is home from college on break now, but will not be home again until Christmas vacation. Can he get his new license now, in advance? Otherwise, he might have a problem at airport security in December if he has an expired license.

A. If you are temporarily out of state at the time your license is due to expire for a valid reason such as work or school, or if you are seasonally in another state, the DMV can renew your license through the mail if you meet a few simple requirements. Forms can be obtained by calling 01-462-4DMV, or by requesting forms by mail or in person at the RI DMV’s main branch, 100 Main Street, Pawtucket RI 02860. Here are the requirements:

A licensed optometrist or ophthalmologist must complete an eye examination card provided by the DMV. Many doctors also keep a supply of these forms in their offices. Check with your doctor to see if he or she has these forms. If you’ve had an eye exam in the past six months, many times the doctor can fill out and sign the eye exam card and mail it either to you or directly to the DMV.

A photo waiver affidavit must be completed, signed by you and notarized by a notary public. A reason why you cannot appear in person for your license renewal must be filled in on this affidavit. If no reason is given, the application will be rejected and mailed back to you.

A check or money order made payable to the Division of Motor Vehicles or DMV must be included. Fees are $13.50 for all renewals, except for those applicants who are 68 or older. That fee is $9.50. Your license will be renewed only for a period of two years. When you return to Rhode Island, you may appear at any DMV branch office and obtain a new license with your picture.

Rhode Island recently began issuing a new, digitized license. If you have one of the new licenses, there will be a picture on your waiver renewal. It will be the picture we have on file for you. If you still have one of the older licenses, the license will have the words “Valid Without Photo” in the space for the picture.

In your son’s case, if he has held the license for one full year, he may be given a full operator’s license rather than a provisional license. RIGL 31-10-6, which deals with graduated licenses, states in Section (3) “Full operator’s license. (i) A person who is at least seventeen (17) years old but less than eighteen (18) years old may apply for and obtain a full operator’s license if the person meets all of the following requirements: (i) Has held a limited provisional license issued by the division of motor vehicles for at least twelve (12) months; (B) Has not been convicted of a motor vehicle moving violation or seat belt infraction during the preceding six (6) months. (ii) A person who meets the requirements of this section may obtain a full operator’s license by mail. The restrictions on Level 1 and Level 2 drivers concerning time of driving, supervision and passenger limitations do not apply to a full operator’s license.”

Please note that at this time, we cannot renew or duplicate a CDL (Commercial Driver License). Current federal regulations require that a photo appear on the face of the license. Licenses expired for a period of three (3) years or more cannot be renewed. A written exam and road test is required to obtain a new license.

Gina Antonucci Zanni, chief of communications for the State Division of Motor Vehicles, has agreed to answer questions of general interest posed by Journal readers about state motor vehicle laws and procedures. To ask a question that would also be of interest to other readers, send a letter to Ask projoCars, Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain St., Providence, RI, 02902. You can e-mail your question to projocars@projo.com. Please put “Ask projoCars” in the subject field. Questions or complaints of a specific nature should be posed to the DMV directly and will not be answered in this column.