The Putnam County Department of Motor Vehicles, located in Brewster, New York, along with all DMV offices in New York state, will undergo a large-scale system upgrade next month that will require our office to be closed and potentially alter our business hours.

In February, the New York State DMV is implementing the initial phase of a multi-year project to replace and modernize its aging technology systems. To bring the first part of the new system online, the state is ceasing all DMV operations, including online and the phone system at 2 p.m. on Friday, February 13, 2026.  Due to this, the Putnam County Department of Motor Vehicles located in Brewster, New York will be closing at 12:30 PM on that day.

The office is already scheduled to be closed on Monday February 16, 2026, in observance of the President’s Day holiday and will remain closed on Tuesday February 17, 2026. 

During this time, the state DMV will migrate about 30 million records to the new system and complete the transition to bring the first phase of the upgrade online. Again, no DMV transactions will be able to be completed during this period, including through the state DMV website, and they will also not be answering their phones.

The state DMV’s implementation timeline calls for offices to be operational and open for customer transactions beginning Wednesday, February 18.  We anticipate that the office will reopen on Wednesday February 18, 2026, at 8:30 AM provided we receive the necessary approval from NYS DMV leadership.  Any changes to this timeline will be posted on our website (www.putnamcountyny.gov/dmv) and on the Putnam County Clerk’s Office Facebook page.

Putnam County Clerk Michael Bartolotti stated “It is our hope that this new technology upgrade will improve the DMV experience for our customers and staff alike.  While we realize that these closures may result in temporary inconvenience for our customers, we hope that we can count on your patience, and we believe that it will be worth it!”

ABOUT THE DMV SYSTEM UPGRADE

New York State DMV has contracted with software company FAST Enterprises, LLC, which has implemented similar systems in more than 20 other states, to help NYS DMV modernize its technology platforms and service delivery in two major stages over the next two years. The new technology will replace and consolidate a significant portion of DMV’s legacy technology, some of which are over 50 years old. The goal of this initiative is to make the DMV more secure, stable, and agile and to provide DMV customers with more efficient, secure, and convenient services.