In most if not all states, if you have an AAA membership, you can do your DMV stuff at AAA offices and dodge the DMV entirely. The lines are way better.
In my area, the DMV is actually quite pleasant. I’ve had to go like 2-3x ever? And each time was a 15 min adventure:
registered my car from out of state
bought a car from a local private seller - I brought them with me to finalize the transfer
bought a car from an out of state private seller (my brother), just brought the signed title
Or emissions checks can be submitted at the check station for $8 or filed online for free, so there’s no reason for most people to go to the DMV. In fact, most other stuff can be done online too.
It honestly takes longer for me to get there (like 15 min drive) than to actually get my business sorted. It’s one of the better run agencies in the state.
That said, the DOL division sucks. We don’t even require in person renewals, but the two times I had to go sucked (when I first moved here, and for my wife to get her license transferred). It’s a much smaller office with far more people waiting.
I have a DMV that’s never busy around me too, at the cost of being further out of my way (even more so now that I’ve moved even farther from it). But it’s worth being able to walk in and go right to a counter (without an appointment even!) instead of waiting 8+ fucking hours starting at 5am like the one in my actual city.
I’ve never made an appointment for the DMV, that’s just bananas. I just walk in, grab a number, then my name is called within a few minutes. It takes longer to get there (like 15-20 min) than to finish my business there.
I still don’t like going because it’s an hour out of my way, but that also applies to most stores.
In most if not all states, if you have an AAA membership, you can do your DMV stuff at AAA offices and dodge the DMV entirely. The lines are way better.
In my area, the DMV is actually quite pleasant. I’ve had to go like 2-3x ever? And each time was a 15 min adventure:
Or emissions checks can be submitted at the check station for $8 or filed online for free, so there’s no reason for most people to go to the DMV. In fact, most other stuff can be done online too.
It honestly takes longer for me to get there (like 15 min drive) than to actually get my business sorted. It’s one of the better run agencies in the state.
That said, the DOL division sucks. We don’t even require in person renewals, but the two times I had to go sucked (when I first moved here, and for my wife to get her license transferred). It’s a much smaller office with far more people waiting.
I have a DMV that’s never busy around me too, at the cost of being further out of my way (even more so now that I’ve moved even farther from it). But it’s worth being able to walk in and go right to a counter (without an appointment even!) instead of waiting 8+ fucking hours starting at 5am like the one in my actual city.
I’ve never made an appointment for the DMV, that’s just bananas. I just walk in, grab a number, then my name is called within a few minutes. It takes longer to get there (like 15-20 min) than to finish my business there.
I still don’t like going because it’s an hour out of my way, but that also applies to most stores.