5 ms·

Ever been to the DMV?

alistairSH 14y ago
Yes. In the last decade or so, the Virginia DMV has been painless for typical tasks. Most common tasks can be performed online - registration, license renewal, even obtaining titles after paying off loans (assuming the dealer/bank held the title electronically). The few times I've had to show up in person, I've been in and out in 30 minutes or less.
imjared 14y ago
DMV in the District had a pretty long line but was fine otherwise. The biggest problem I saw was people who had not read the provided information/required materials in advance of coming then started arguing or pleading their case.
- axusgrad 14y ago
  You get problems when the employees cannot interpret the rules correctly, though. For example, proof of residency can be utility bill from the last 60 days, OR a DC property tax bill, and they reject a current DC property tax bill that wasn't issued in the last 60 days.
jimmaswell 14y ago
I've been to the DMV to get an ID and it wasn't bad at all. The worst I've seen happen to other people is a long line. What are the big problems people apparently have with the DMV all the time? I'm from NY if that makes a difference.
- mjn 14y ago
  Most Texas DMVs are hugely understaffed, I assume deliberately because they don't want to fund more staff, so the wait is generally long, like 2-3 hours long, and the facilities you're waiting in are old and poorly maintained. However, that's pretty TX-specific; TX generally underprovisions government services. The CA DMV is much nicer, and you can even book a specific time online!
  - jff 14y ago
    The CA DMV's online booking is convenient, but it really becomes the only way to get service. I made an appointment for mid-afternoon to register my motorcycle. I was in and out in 15 minutes. When I had gone in 2 years ago to get my drivers license, I didn't know about making appointments. I spent 5 hours at the DMV that day.
    - dmckeon 14y ago
      For many CA DMV services, if one is a member of AAA, a AAA (CSAA) office can handle the process easily. This convenience or a single roadside service call can make the annual fee worthwhile (but check first if they can/will tow/service a motorcycle!)
  - jebblue 14y ago
    You can renew your license in Texas online every other cycle, the only reason it's every other is they want you to come in to refresh you photo every decade, so make an appointment.
    - mjn 14y ago
      Yeah, I do it online when I can, but I had to go in in person in 2011, and it wasn't particularly pleasant. I didn't know you could make an appointment; when I asked at the time you couldn't. Seems like there is now some kind of "get in line online" feature, though it's not available at all locations: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/rolodex/search.asp http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing...
homosaur 14y ago
Blame your city government. St. Louis City Hall houses the DMV and all other city offices and the service is stellar. I've yet to have a bad experience in over two dozen trips there.
- ben1040 14y ago
  Stop telling people about that DMV branch in city hall! It's one of the best kept secrets in St Louis.
pnathan 14y ago
my local dmv is excellent, no lines, no wait, just 2-3 old ladies happy to help. in a larger area, it's a 'pick a number' and wait drudgery. ymmv
gallerytungsten 14y ago
There's an obvious distinction between state governments and the far greater competence of Federal agencies. As someone who works in a business that's heavily regulated at the local, state, and Federal level, I can tell you that the differences aren't subtle. (It will also vary quite a bit depending on the state and locality.)
smsm42 14y ago
BTW, despite DMV being the common complaint, I've been dealing with DMV a number of times and never had a problem. Dealing with the IRS was somewhat nightmarish though - while I can't complaint about customer service per se (people I spoke to were polite and tried to help me within what they could) the processes and the transparency were quite Kafkaesque. Basically somehow IRS decided I owe them a ton of money, and I spent several months (not consecutively, just how long it took to be resolved) trying to find out why and how to make them realize it's not true. I never found the answer to the why question but when it got to the question of me owing them something like 17 dollars (there also were cents, I just don't remember the exact sum) I just paid it up to put the whole thing behind. I still don't know why exactly they wanted it and what was wrong (my return was pretty simple and I asked professionals and IRS service people, nobody had any idea).
- LoganCale 14y ago
  I had a situation last year where the IRS sent me a notice that I owed something like $20,000 in taxes from a single 1099 they claimed I did not file. In fact, they had missed a decimal point on the 1099 and read something like $75,000 rather than the $750.00 that was on the 1099. After re-sending them copies of the 1099 and all the data I had on what I filed, they responded saying the matter was settled and apologized for the inconvenience, but I'm still bothered by the fact that had that decimal place error been my own fault, I would have been fined $3,000 (according to the documents they sent) but when they make the mistake they just send a form letter apology.
  - csomar 14y ago
    You didn't lose any money, did you? They just made a mistake, nothing wrong with that. You can also make mistakes too. However, if they are going to be easy with it, many people are also going to make "mistakes".
- pc86 14y ago
  I've had quite the opposite experience. Dealing with the DMV here in Pennsylvania is always a nightmare with long waits and dealing with employees who are rude and make it known they'd rather be getting a medical procedure than renewing your license or some other aspect of their job. I've only had to deal with the IRS in an official capacity twice and both times (while a PITA for the reason I had to deal with them) the people with whom I spoke were exceedingly polite, helpful, and most importantly knowledgeable about what they were helping me with. I say this not to say that you're wrong by any means, just to offer another anecdote.
sixothree 14y ago
My DMV provides excellent customer service. You sign in and get a number and are routed quickly and appropriately.
Lagged2Death 14y ago
DMV offices in many states are actually run as private businesses under contract to the state, not by the state government directly. In my state, actual government offices are generally less seedy looking, better staffed, and friendlier than the universally-privately-run DMV offices are. Deputy Registrars are independent contractors and are selected on a competitive basis as described in the Ohio Administrative Code and RFP. Deputy Registrars receive service fees of $3.50 for each vehicle, driver license and ID card transaction; and $0.90 for each vision screening performed. All fees are established in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code. Contracts are generally for two or three years per Section 4503.03 of the Ohio Revised Code. http://bmv.ohio.gov/rfp.stm http://bmv.ohio.gov/rfp.stm All that said, the private contractors do get the job done, but they do it in a way that's efficient with employee time, not in a way that's efficient with customer time.
krschultz 14y ago
DMV in New Jersey is great. It really is. Completely painless for everything I've done there including getting a license, buying/selling cars, trailer registration, etc. DMV in Connecticut is horrific. One of the worse "customer service" experience. Which says to me, all of the reflexive "DMV sucks" comments are missing the real question - why does it suck in some states and not others?
- tanzam75 14y ago
  The DMV in New Jersey is not great. It is, however, better than it was ten years ago. It also depends greatly on which office you go to. Trenton is, unsurprisingly, horrible.
yyqux 14y ago
Yes, I went to the DMV in Illinois to get my license and managed to complete the eyesight, written and driving tests and walk out the door with my new license in maybe an hour and a half. I didn't even have an appointment. I'm aware this isn't the case in all states, but that says more about the priorities and competence of the people running those governments than it does anything else. Unfortunately a lot of people seem resigned to the idea that things are going to be run poorly and don't even bother punishing the politicians who are shirking their responsibility of administration and blaming their own failures on some abstract idea that government is always inefficient.
r00fus 14y ago
I just recently went to my DMV in sunny CA to get my DL renewed (I made an appointment as without one it's literally half a day in lines). I had slated 2hrs of non-billable time on my calendar, but I was out in 15m - with the to/fro latency, it was 45m total. Good government service.
guelo 14y ago
I'd say DMV's customer service is better than Comcasts's or Verizon's.
yoshamano 14y ago
Here in Michigan we have the Secretary of State's Office http://www.michigan.gov/sos/ http://www.michigan.gov/sos/ Service wise they do a pretty good job. They've spent the past decade or so beefing up their online and automated services. In most cases you don't even need to go to an actual office if you're dealing with a license or plate renewal.

Yes. In the last decade or so, the Virginia DMV has been painless for typical tasks. Most common tasks can be performed online - registration, license renewal, even obtaining titles after paying off loans (assuming the dealer/bank held the title electronically). The few times I've had to show up in person, I've been in and out in 30 minutes or less.

imjared 14y ago

DMV in the District had a pretty long line but was fine otherwise. The biggest problem I saw was people who had not read the provided information/required materials in advance of coming then started arguing or pleading their case.

axusgrad 14y ago
You get problems when the employees cannot interpret the rules correctly, though. For example, proof of residency can be utility bill from the last 60 days, OR a DC property tax bill, and they reject a current DC property tax bill that wasn't issued in the last 60 days.

jimmaswell 14y ago

I've been to the DMV to get an ID and it wasn't bad at all. The worst I've seen happen to other people is a long line. What are the big problems people apparently have with the DMV all the time? I'm from NY if that makes a difference.

mjn 14y ago
Most Texas DMVs are hugely understaffed, I assume deliberately because they don't want to fund more staff, so the wait is generally long, like 2-3 hours long, and the facilities you're waiting in are old and poorly maintained. However, that's pretty TX-specific; TX generally underprovisions government services. The CA DMV is much nicer, and you can even book a specific time online!
- jff 14y ago
  The CA DMV's online booking is convenient, but it really becomes the only way to get service. I made an appointment for mid-afternoon to register my motorcycle. I was in and out in 15 minutes. When I had gone in 2 years ago to get my drivers license, I didn't know about making appointments. I spent 5 hours at the DMV that day.
  - dmckeon 14y ago
    For many CA DMV services, if one is a member of AAA, a AAA (CSAA) office can handle the process easily. This convenience or a single roadside service call can make the annual fee worthwhile (but check first if they can/will tow/service a motorcycle!)
- jebblue 14y ago
  You can renew your license in Texas online every other cycle, the only reason it's every other is they want you to come in to refresh you photo every decade, so make an appointment.
  - mjn 14y ago
    Yeah, I do it online when I can, but I had to go in in person in 2011, and it wasn't particularly pleasant. I didn't know you could make an appointment; when I asked at the time you couldn't. Seems like there is now some kind of "get in line online" feature, though it's not available at all locations: http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing_control/rolodex/search.asp http://www.txdps.state.tx.us/administration/driver_licensing...

homosaur 14y ago

Blame your city government. St. Louis City Hall houses the DMV and all other city offices and the service is stellar. I've yet to have a bad experience in over two dozen trips there.

ben1040 14y ago
Stop telling people about that DMV branch in city hall! It's one of the best kept secrets in St Louis.

pnathan 14y ago

my local dmv is excellent, no lines, no wait, just 2-3 old ladies happy to help. in a larger area, it's a 'pick a number' and wait drudgery. ymmv

gallerytungsten 14y ago

There's an obvious distinction between state governments and the far greater competence of Federal agencies. As someone who works in a business that's heavily regulated at the local, state, and Federal level, I can tell you that the differences aren't subtle. (It will also vary quite a bit depending on the state and locality.)

smsm42 14y ago

BTW, despite DMV being the common complaint, I've been dealing with DMV a number of times and never had a problem. Dealing with the IRS was somewhat nightmarish though - while I can't complaint about customer service per se (people I spoke to were polite and tried to help me within what they could) the processes and the transparency were quite Kafkaesque. Basically somehow IRS decided I owe them a ton of money, and I spent several months (not consecutively, just how long it took to be resolved) trying to find out why and how to make them realize it's not true. I never found the answer to the why question but when it got to the question of me owing them something like 17 dollars (there also were cents, I just don't remember the exact sum) I just paid it up to put the whole thing behind. I still don't know why exactly they wanted it and what was wrong (my return was pretty simple and I asked professionals and IRS service people, nobody had any idea).

LoganCale 14y ago
I had a situation last year where the IRS sent me a notice that I owed something like $20,000 in taxes from a single 1099 they claimed I did not file. In fact, they had missed a decimal point on the 1099 and read something like $75,000 rather than the $750.00 that was on the 1099. After re-sending them copies of the 1099 and all the data I had on what I filed, they responded saying the matter was settled and apologized for the inconvenience, but I'm still bothered by the fact that had that decimal place error been my own fault, I would have been fined $3,000 (according to the documents they sent) but when they make the mistake they just send a form letter apology.
- csomar 14y ago
  You didn't lose any money, did you? They just made a mistake, nothing wrong with that. You can also make mistakes too. However, if they are going to be easy with it, many people are also going to make "mistakes".
pc86 14y ago
I've had quite the opposite experience. Dealing with the DMV here in Pennsylvania is always a nightmare with long waits and dealing with employees who are rude and make it known they'd rather be getting a medical procedure than renewing your license or some other aspect of their job. I've only had to deal with the IRS in an official capacity twice and both times (while a PITA for the reason I had to deal with them) the people with whom I spoke were exceedingly polite, helpful, and most importantly knowledgeable about what they were helping me with. I say this not to say that you're wrong by any means, just to offer another anecdote.

sixothree 14y ago

My DMV provides excellent customer service. You sign in and get a number and are routed quickly and appropriately.

Lagged2Death 14y ago

DMV offices in many states are actually run as private businesses under contract to the state, not by the state government directly. In my state, actual government offices are generally less seedy looking, better staffed, and friendlier than the universally-privately-run DMV offices are. Deputy Registrars are independent contractors and are selected on a competitive basis as described in the Ohio Administrative Code and RFP. Deputy Registrars receive service fees of $3.50 for each vehicle, driver license and ID card transaction; and $0.90 for each vision screening performed. All fees are established in accordance with the Ohio Revised Code. Contracts are generally for two or three years per Section 4503.03 of the Ohio Revised Code. http://bmv.ohio.gov/rfp.stm http://bmv.ohio.gov/rfp.stm All that said, the private contractors do get the job done, but they do it in a way that's efficient with employee time, not in a way that's efficient with customer time.

krschultz 14y ago

DMV in New Jersey is great. It really is. Completely painless for everything I've done there including getting a license, buying/selling cars, trailer registration, etc. DMV in Connecticut is horrific. One of the worse "customer service" experience. Which says to me, all of the reflexive "DMV sucks" comments are missing the real question - why does it suck in some states and not others?

tanzam75 14y ago
The DMV in New Jersey is not great. It is, however, better than it was ten years ago. It also depends greatly on which office you go to. Trenton is, unsurprisingly, horrible.

yyqux 14y ago

Yes, I went to the DMV in Illinois to get my license and managed to complete the eyesight, written and driving tests and walk out the door with my new license in maybe an hour and a half. I didn't even have an appointment. I'm aware this isn't the case in all states, but that says more about the priorities and competence of the people running those governments than it does anything else. Unfortunately a lot of people seem resigned to the idea that things are going to be run poorly and don't even bother punishing the politicians who are shirking their responsibility of administration and blaming their own failures on some abstract idea that government is always inefficient.

r00fus 14y ago

I just recently went to my DMV in sunny CA to get my DL renewed (I made an appointment as without one it's literally half a day in lines). I had slated 2hrs of non-billable time on my calendar, but I was out in 15m - with the to/fro latency, it was 45m total. Good government service.

guelo 14y ago

I'd say DMV's customer service is better than Comcasts's or Verizon's.

yoshamano 14y ago

Here in Michigan we have the Secretary of State's Office http://www.michigan.gov/sos/ http://www.michigan.gov/sos/ Service wise they do a pretty good job. They've spent the past decade or so beefing up their online and automated services. In most cases you don't even need to go to an actual office if you're dealing with a license or plate renewal.