Madison County Clerk: New York DMV system cutover will close Watsonville office Friday the 13th

Madison County Clerk Mike Kebbell announced that New York State DMV will cut over data lines more than half a century old to a new system on "Friday the thirteenth," and the Madison County Clerk’s office in Watsonville will be closed to the public that day.

Kebbell said, "this is not a joke," stressing the change is unprecedented for New York State and that the county cannot guarantee access to summary reports about financial transactions, plate inventory and document inventory during the transition. "We are closed completely on Friday the thirteenth," he said, adding staff will continue paperwork but will not be able to access DMV databases or systems while the cutover is underway.

Because the cutover coincides with the Presidents' Day three-day weekend, Kebbell said the DMV hopes the system will be back up "midday Tuesday," but the county will not take that risk and will remain closed to the public on Tuesday. He said Wednesday will be used to catch up on a "mountain of auto dealer work" received daily by mail and carriers; the office is scheduled to reopen to the public on Thursday.

The announcement applies to the Madison County Clerk’s Office in Watsonville and, according to Kebbell, to many area offices that rely on the New York State DMV systems. Kebbell encouraged patience and thanked residents, saying the office looks forward to serving the public under the new system.

The clerk did not specify the year beyond saying the change will occur on "Friday the thirteenth in February."