The problem is, you can do all the routine DMV stuff online, so many of the people doing something at the DMV in person have some sort of complication. With no tickets, I have renewed my driver's license by mail/online for years. Also registrations, etc. I think the only time I've gone to the DMV in person was to get handicapped plates for the wife's car and to update the photo on my license, which I described above. And that was not necessary, it was my choice.

The big city DMV offices are really crowded, though. Not too bad in the small town I live in. In 2001 I had to go to a DMV in a big city to get a Vehicle Sales License, and that was an all day project. This was back in the days before appointments, I believe. I also had to go get fingerprinted at another location then go back to the DMV. The fingerprinting thing was new then for Vehicle Sales and no one at the dealership knew about it.

This is true. I normally don't go there, as I do all on-line. I've had zero tickets for 30+ years, so it's a simple renewal on-line. But this change for the driver license to meet fed requirements, I thought by doing it early I would avoid all the people that go there in the last minute. Like I stated, I already went ahead and had it renewed, paid the fee, only to discover I had to go back on my birthday this year and repeat the entire process again a year later. I even tried to renew the license on their web site, but it gave me an error that I did not qualify.
I guess I can consider my self lucky getting out of there in 2 hours.

I wouldn't bet on that.

The "goes into effect next year" hype has been happening since 2008. :yesnod:
They might claim 10/1/20 now, but every year it gets pushed to a later date.


I last renewed my d/l in 2013, and though I intended to get the (optional) "real ID" at that time, I took the wrong version of my birth cert, which the DMV wouldn't accept as valid. :spdchk:
So rather than return and go through that bs a second time, I just opted for the "old" (non fed-compliant) renewal on the spot, with the warning it may not be valid for air travel "next year". :Jeff '79: It expires in 2021....I highly doubt I'll need to renew it before then.


:cert:

Not surprised. It’s kind of a low rent area for retail and the buildings seem to be a little run down.

They’re building condos/apartments there on Sepulveda right next to my office. Down by the Mission Division LAPD station. That’s a tight space but they’re stacking them in there. :willy:

I’ll miss that DMV location in Granada Hills, though. It’s right around the corner from work. :nonod: With an appointment, I can be in and out during lunch.

My wife just had the same, renewed 8 months early as she was as titling her new car, they gave her all kinds of crap as it was not within the 6 month window

I kinda like how AZ does it - your driver's license doesn't expire until you're like 65. But yeah, the DMV has always been under-funded and short-handed, which means the lines are always miserably long. Even if you make an appointment all that means is you get to stand in a shorter line. Fortunately I waited until I got my renewal notice in the mail before starting the RealID process. The lady behind the counter said it's a good thing I brought my renewal notice with me, because without it I would have had to take the written test. SRSLY? Your computer doesn't contain that information??

:rolleyes:

I was in and out in about half an hour. About 15-20 minutes of that was just waiting for my number to be called :shrug:

My keys to success:
I waited until my renewal notice came.
I completed the online portion with id.me ahead of time from home - if you don't do this, they make you go to a computer kiosk right there in the DMV and do that part, with 1000 other people looking over your shoulder.
I made an appointment with the DMV.

Years back NY DMV was quite the operation. At all levels it seemed like they went out of their way to make things nasty. This was pre computer era and you had to go to a office for many things.


There was one office that actually had a sign in their break room that said.

"just because were civil servants does not mean we have to be civil"

The DMV here in Joplin is actually sorta functional. You can do your tag renewal online easily so the only reason to go there normally is to renew your license every six years, and last time I did it I was in and out in a few minutes. They just punch a hole in your old license and that allows it to be valid for 30 more days past expiration (if needed) until your new one arrives, which takes like five days or so. That said, they just now have the new type of licenses that the feds are requiring (we were one of the last states to get around to doing this) so I'll need to get mine soon.

Fixed. :D

Yeah I had to wait about 20 minutes for my number to be called. They should have stated when I went down there last year that I had to wait 6 months prior to the due date. There was no mentioned of that anywhere. I was trying to be proactive in getting it done earlier than later to avoid the mad rush towards the 10-1-2020 date.

This.

The CA DMV is consistently 8+ weeks out with their appointment times. If you always keep that in mind, you’ll have no problems. :shrug:

I did my real ID at the GH location. No issues. :cheers:

Make sure you have everything filled out ahead of time. Forms are on the web. Check for accepted forms of proof of identity. The lady at the DMV told me that’s where most people have issues.

When moving to Florida from Md. my Md license was not enuff, and all the rest was not either, had to get a registered b/cert from Glen Burnie Md......

took a week, woopie doo.....

:lol:

One other tip: If you want your PO BOX address to appear on your license, you need at least one piece of paper (e.g. utility bill) with both your street address and your PO BOX address on it. :yesnod:

Add PA to the list of dysfunctional DMV services. I understand folks with disabilities need jobs too but make sure they can actually do the job you put them in.

If there are more than 5 persons there, you know it'll be at least 45 minutes. One time I was there and a parent came in with their soon to driving daughter and after getting a number, realized they didn't have her birth certificate. They drove home 10 miles away to get it and made it back with plenty of time before their number was called.

Oh, there is always the "big dude" making sure you get a number.

A couple renewals ago, they had a nice pleasant lady who took all your info and hand wrote it down in a ledger. The problem was she had a stroke and had extreme difficulties writing the number "3". It literally took a full minute of struggle for her to write the number 3. ( my DL has three #3's in it :banghead: ) I truly felt bad for her.

The last two renewals ( at the same location ) they have a young lady with Downs in that position. She does her job well and kept the line moving at a good pace.

No you can't. AND in the state of Georgia, you cannot use your passport as an ID to obtain your real ID driver's license. Valid the world over our DMV fails to recognize "the gold standard" for proof of citizenship. They will however accept the envelope for an electric or telephone bill as proof of address. Go figure...

California wants to see a lot more documents for a real ID than I had to show to get my Passport.

When we moved here, I had no problem. I went to the one on Vanowen. I got there 30 mins or so before they opened and waited in line for an hour or so maybe two even, I was prepared. Small talked the lady who waited on me and got my plates. She even loaned me a screw driver to put the new plates on. I had one in the trunk but I didn't even get that far in telling her. She just asked if I wanted to use a screw driver. Lol, she saved me the huge effort of opening the trunk. I had time, a phone with internet, and I was good. Now, next time may be different....

Couldn't even use a military ID card to get the Real ID. The whole thing is a piece of crap.