You tell me

[Sir_Froggy]

how much the DMV sucks, I waited like 3 hours to take a test for my permit which took me like 5 minutes, it was the biggest waste of time ever. You should all never go to the DMV unless you have an appointment, which I would have done, but it was booked til the end of July.

[look_ma]

I have never had to wait at my DMV, mainly because I choose times that are obscene (just opening) and I also have all my paper work done. In my state (texas) you can renew online.

[eSDee]

Try to set an appointment anyways. Say you want to be on standby. They usually set their appointments 15 minutes apart, so if you can let them know that you tried to make an appointment you might be able to slip in when an appointment either ends short or doesn't show up.

[dbax791]

/rant

California is a whacked state when it comes to government/taxes etc.

I lived there for 2 years and I was one of the few from college that actually complied with the law and registered my vehicle with the opportunity to pay $500+ out of state non-CA emmissions fee.

Turns out a couple years after I moved back to Arizona some judge declared that law invalid and I got a check with a refund - out of the blue.

Beautiful state, best weather in the world, nice people, but dang those people you elect for office are morons (LOL and I come from Arizona where we have our own share of 'em)

[Cantacuzene]

Originally posted by dbax791

Turns out a couple years after I moved back to Arizona some judge declared that law invalid and I got a check with a refund - out of the blue.

So basically you gave the state government of california a $500 loan for a few years with no interest. I wouldn't even give my friends a loan like that, let alone the state of California. :P

[ramazank2]

I found that you can make an appointment online for any time at the DMV it doesnt really matter when. So basically as long as you have an appointment you can go whenever that day. A teller at the DMV told me that.

[dbax791]

Originally posted by Cantacuzene


So basically you gave the state government of california a $500 loan for a few years with no interest. I wouldn't even give my friends a loan like that, let alone the state of California. :P

LOL, but I don't think of it like that - I never expected to see that money again, thought it was an expense.

I'm surpised California hasn't passed a "Tax Tax" where you have to pay a percentage tax on the taxes you pay.

Whoops, I better shut up before someone gets an idea :eek:

[BrewMaster]

i always renew my license by mail when they send me the renewal form, that's why I am 24 years old with a pic of my 16 year old scrawny self on my license. oh well, no waiting in line, but i do get many weird looks when i have to show the license at stores and clubs and stuff...

[Sir_Froggy]

whoah...its brewmaster I haven't seen you in forever....

[OC]

I've never had a significant wait in any gov't office in WA state. :)

[ufcrusher]

The only thing thats worse than the California DMV is the Pennsylvania DMV and that is only by the slimmest margin that can be scientifically measured. Both of those DMVs serve the sole purpose of fleecing every red cent that they can from everybody through extortion and thievery. If I could figure out a good cause of action I would sue the crap out of both of them for the bull each has pulled.:angry:

[mojo]

Originally posted by Cantacuzene


So basically you gave the state government of california a $500 loan for a few years with no interest. I wouldn't even give my friends a loan like that, let alone the state of California. :P i'd give my friends a loan like that if i had the money. why not? :shrug:

[cheapie]

Originally posted by mojo
i'd give my friends a loan like that if i had the money. why not? :shrug:

cuz you don't ever want to mix friends and money.


michigans dmv offices are terrible also. i found this little town that has an office that is never busy.

whitak, ya know where marshall is? i-69 and i-94.

that's where you want to go.

[whitak24]

of course i know where marshall is. i grew up about 20 miles north of there :)

actually, you just moved to michigan within the last 5 years, didn't you?

if so, you have NO IDEA how horrible the SOS offices used to be before candice miller was elected in 1994. when she was elected they instituted a lot of changes (such as making sure all offices had fax machines and copiers, for starters :heh: ) to make the offices more efficient. they also made it easier to fill out forms while you waited and made lines a lot shorter.

under richard h. austin, the old secretary of state, you were routinely looking at a 2-3 hour wait if you needed to go in and do something. and of course, no services were available by mail, phone, fax, or internet, so you had to go to the office for almost everything (ok, i think you could renew your plates by mail, but that was about it).

the model for efficiency that i've seen is ohio. when my GF moved there last summer, she had to change her drivers license. so we went to the DMV. we were in and out of there in under an hour, and she spent practically no time in line. she filled out all the forms, took a written test that was like 20 minutes or something, got her picture taken and was still done in an hour.

oh, and they give you your new license on the spot (none of this waiting for it to come in the mail 3 weeks later crap that we have here) and the fee was only like $12.

[Joshua]

That's excellent! Ny has come a long way. It used to be that you'd wait on line for 3 to 4 hours just to find out that you need some other form. Once I waited for 3 hours to make a payment only to discover that they wouldn't take a check, credit card or Cash in the amount of $100 or more. I had to leave, go get a cashiers check and come back to wait in line for another 3 hours.

A couple of years back, they outsourced the DMV to a private company that computerized everything, installed benches and a "now server" number system so you could sit. Instead of one giant line they split up the counter to perform different functions. The tickets even give a pretty good estimated waiting time (usually under 20 minutes).

Now you can order custom plates, renew license/reg, etc.. online. It really is a pleasant experience.

Lastly they have now made licenses valid for 8 years. It used to be 5.


Originally posted by whitak24
of course i know where marshall is. i grew up about 20 miles north of there :)

actually, you just moved to michigan within the last 5 years, didn't you?

if so, you have NO IDEA how horrible the SOS offices used to be before candice miller was elected in 1994. when she was elected they instituted a lot of changes (such as making sure all offices had fax machines and copiers, for starters :heh: ) to make the offices more efficient. they also made it easier to fill out forms while you waited and made lines a lot shorter.

under richard h. austin, the old secretary of state, you were routinely looking at a 2-3 hour wait if you needed to go in and do something. and of course, no services were available by mail, phone, fax, or internet, so you had to go to the office for almost everything (ok, i think you could renew your plates by mail, but that was about it).

the model for efficiency that i've seen is ohio. when my GF moved there last summer, she had to change her drivers license. so we went to the DMV. we were in and out of there in under an hour, and she spent practically no time in line. she filled out all the forms, took a written test that was like 20 minutes or something, got her picture taken and was still done in an hour.

oh, and they give you your new license on the spot (none of this waiting for it to come in the mail 3 weeks later crap that we have here) and the fee was only like $12.