Sen. Duff asks for new DMV license vendor

State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, is urging the Department of Motor Vehicles to quickly find a new vendor to perform driver’s license renewal services previously provided by AAA Northeast.

Connecticut’s contract with AAA Northeast ended on January 1st.

“The DMV negotiated in good faith with AAA Northeast, even after the vendor attempted to renege on its existing contract in 2016 and resumed providing services only under the threat of a lawsuit,” Duff wrote in a letter to DMV Commissioner Michael Bzdyra.

“I find it difficult to understand why AAA Northeast was unable to reach an agreement with the state when the other AAA franchise in Connecticut, AAA Club Alliance, recently renewed its contract for another five years,” Duff said.

Following the termination of the contract, the DMV reallocated staff to assist its Fairfield and New Haven County offices and redeployed equipment to handle additional customers in those offices.

“I am sure that you can imagine that the loss of these services performed by AAA Northeast is an important issue for the Connecticut residents that I represent,” Duff wrote. “I would urge you and the Department of Motor Vehicles to quickly find a new private vendor to take over the providing of these services in order to disrupt licensing in the affected areas as little as possible.”