Drivers license online

[ultrarunner]

Spent most of the day at the DMV and we were the lucky ones...

The sea of humanity was incredible... the lines went around the building to the street... I guess State Buildings are exempt from occupancy limits?

I met one fellow that was being deployed and was there 7.5 hours and no driving test... just the standard written, vision, enhanced documents... etc.

The brother of my neighbor went last week and was also over 7 hours...

In full disclosure... the staff were polite and helpful and those waiting did manage some humor among strangers...

If you make an online appointment you might get out in 3 hours... with no driving test required.

Many can't make online because they can be 4 to 8 weeks out... especially if you need a specific day of the week and forget about late appointments... they do not exist... and a computer is necessity.

The person I was with has 62 years of driving with no accidents, tickets, fender benders or scrapes... or fee issues...

The "Real ID" was causing much of the problem... one poor retired woman presented her Social Security Care from 1944... the DMV said it was too worn to be used... after 5 hours they had to drop out and come back when they have a replacement card in hand...

A Passport is not sufficient... plus residency must be established... things like a current utility bill in your name that matches the address you provide...

God help you if you married and changed your name...

A lot of people in my city drive without or with expired licenses... some I have worked with... honest... they simply gave up... always thought just how much trouble is it to get a license... another couple was on their third trip... apparently she was a victim of ID theft... another nightmare.

Driving is a privilege and they sure don't let you ever forget it....

 

[rekees4300]

Driving is a privilege and they sure don't let you ever forget it....

That's what happens when We The People become We The Sheeple. Our government servants become our shepherds. :sheep:

 

[ultrarunner]

Seems the restrictions and requirements only go one way...

One of the highlights of my teen years was a road trip to Canada with another high school friend both of us 16... simply wouldn't be possible today...

Back then no cell phones and now every kid has a cell phone plus cars are so much safer than the 71 Mustang Convertible I drove with a 4 spd... chaining up over the mountain passes.

Sheeple is an apt description of today's DMV visit... again... all the staff were pleasant and respectful but the shuffle from line with a handful of documents to be reviewed, stamped... etc... plus endless lines was over the top and talk about over crowding...

 

[polo1665]

Spent most of the day at the DMV and we were the lucky ones...

The sea of humanity was incredible... the lines went around the building to the street... I guess State Buildings are exempt from occupancy limits?

I met one fellow that was being deployed and was there 7.5 hours and no driving test... just the standard written, vision, enhanced documents... etc.

The brother of my neighbor went last week and was also over 7 hours...

In full disclosure... the staff were polite and helpful and those waiting did manage some humor among strangers...

If you make an online appointment you might get out in 3 hours... with no driving test required.

Many can't make online because they can be 4 to 8 weeks out... especially if you need a specific day of the week and forget about late appointments... they do not exist... and a computer is necessity.

The person I was with has 62 years of driving with no accidents, tickets, fender benders or scrapes... or fee issues...

The "Real ID" was causing much of the problem... one poor retired woman presented her Social Security Care from 1944... the DMV said it was too worn to be used... after 5 hours they had to drop out and come back when they have a replacement card in hand...

A Passport is not sufficient... plus residency must be established... things like a current utility bill in your name that matches the address you provide...

God help you if you married and changed your name...

A lot of people in my city drive without or with expired licenses... some I have worked with... honest... they simply gave up... always thought just how much trouble is it to get a license... another couple was on their third trip... apparently she was a victim of ID theft... another nightmare.

Driving is a privilege and they sure don't let you ever forget it....

Sometimes it's not convenient to live out in the "sticks", but in this case It sure is. If it's time to renew my license, I'm in and out in about 10 to 15 minutes. Just getting tags takes 5 to 10. Of course, I have until 2020 to worry about the real ID thing (next time mine expires). I'm sure that will lengthen the process.

 

[Bird]

Knowing that the parking lot is always full at our DMV office, the last time I had to go renew my drivers license, I got there at least 30 minutes before they opened, so I was third in line. And I went on a Wednesday. You sure don't want to go on a Monday or Friday. So altogether it only took me about an hour, and by the time I left, the waiting room chairs were all full and the line went out the door. But not as bad as where you live, I guess.

 

[oosik]

The last couple of renewals - I've found a much more "sane" situation for renewal. I go to the county clerks office in the adjoining county, 100% farming country, on the "designated" day and meet with a State Trooper who handles renewals. No waiting, no lines, no sweat, no anxiety - besides I know him well. We have had the pleasure of "meeting" a couple of times while I was riding my motorcycle down south of here.

 

[cqaigy2]

Some of that has to do with all the changes to driver's licenses. In Washington State at least, it used to be that just about anybody could get a driver's license and they were/are being use like a form of national ID, but it really wasn't up to the task for such use. So now the Feds have said something like, 'all ya'all need to get this fixed'. So here we are with the those poor DMV clerks are on the front line, so to speak.

 

[fried1765]

Spent most of the day at the DMV and we were the lucky ones...

The sea of humanity was incredible... the lines went around the building to the street... I guess State Buildings are exempt from occupancy limits?

I met one fellow that was being deployed and was there 7.5 hours and no driving test... just the standard written, vision, enhanced documents... etc.

The brother of my neighbor went last week and was also over 7 hours...

In full disclosure... the staff were polite and helpful and those waiting did manage some humor among strangers...

If you make an online appointment you might get out in 3 hours... with no driving test required.

Many can't make online because they can be 4 to 8 weeks out... especially if you need a specific day of the week and forget about late appointments... they do not exist... and a computer is necessity.

The person I was with has 62 years of driving with no accidents, tickets, fender benders or scrapes... or fee issues...

The "Real ID" was causing much of the problem... one poor retired woman presented her Social Security Care from 1944... the DMV said it was too worn to be used... after 5 hours they had to drop out and come back when they have a replacement card in hand...

A Passport is not sufficient... plus residency must be established... things like a current utility bill in your name that matches the address you provide...

God help you if you married and changed your name...

A lot of people in my city drive without or with expired licenses... some I have worked with... honest... they simply gave up... always thought just how much trouble is it to get a license... another couple was on their third trip... apparently she was a victim of ID theft... another nightmare.

Driving is a privilege and they sure don't let you ever forget it....

Hey.....it is California....you should not expect less.

 

[Howling]

Massachusetts RMV is doing upgrade for real ID this weekend. They shutdown Thursday evening suppose to be back Monday morning. Everything registry related is offline. Car dealers can't issue plates for new cars. Inspection stations are shutdown statewide. Should be interesting Monday when they start using the all new computer systems.

 

[teejk]

Spent most of the day at the DMV and we were the lucky ones...

The sea of humanity was incredible... the lines went around the building to the street... I guess State Buildings are exempt from occupancy limits?

I met one fellow that was being deployed and was there 7.5 hours and no driving test... just the standard written, vision, enhanced documents... etc.

The brother of my neighbor went last week and was also over 7 hours...

In full disclosure... the staff were polite and helpful and those waiting did manage some humor among strangers...

If you make an online appointment you might get out in 3 hours... with no driving test required.

Many can't make online because they can be 4 to 8 weeks out... especially if you need a specific day of the week and forget about late appointments... they do not exist... and a computer is necessity.

The person I was with has 62 years of driving with no accidents, tickets, fender benders or scrapes... or fee issues...

The "Real ID" was causing much of the problem... one poor retired woman presented her Social Security Care from 1944... the DMV said it was too worn to be used... after 5 hours they had to drop out and come back when they have a replacement card in hand...

A Passport is not sufficient... plus residency must be established... things like a current utility bill in your name that matches the address you provide...

God help you if you married and changed your name...

A lot of people in my city drive without or with expired licenses... some I have worked with... honest... they simply gave up... always thought just how much trouble is it to get a license... another couple was on their third trip... apparently she was a victim of ID theft... another nightmare.

Driving is a privilege and they sure don't let you ever forget it....

In Wisconsin they are trying to push routine things to "on-line". You pay extra if you have to visit their office (a "counter charge"). Years ago when we moved to Connecticut I had to make that dreaded visit. Assigned a number and told to wait (met some nice people that way). It was kinda like that ending of the movie "Beetlejuice". Always amazed me that during the middle of the day there were only a few active windows but an hour before closing employees came from everywhere to clear the huddled masses...were they all playing cards in the backroom all day?

 

[ultrarunner]

The clerks were all pleasant and helpful and no one standing around... it was just the sheer mass of people that made it seem like out of a movie.

I can only imagine standing hours outside in the rain or 105 heat as the area has for weeks at a time.

Friday was not my choice... it was the first available appointment time made weeks in advance... it was also 4 DMV offices away... which is why I went along.

With an appointment... it was 30 minutes or so it was advertised... almost 3 yesterday.

It really must take a special person to work DMV and I mean this in a good way... dealing with 16 to 100 year olds... 50 different languages... all levels of competency... etc...

Just seems California with the 6 largest economy in the world can and should do better...

 

[teejk]

The clerks were all pleasant and helpful and no one standing around... it was just the sheer mass of people that made it seem like out of a movie.

I can only imagine standing hours outside in the rain or 105 heat as the area has for weeks at a time.

Friday was not my choice... it was the first available appointment time made weeks in advance... it was also 4 DMV offices away... which is why I went along.

With an appointment... it was 30 minutes or so it was advertised... almost 3 yesterday.

It really must take a special person to work DMV and I mean this in a good way... dealing with 16 to 100 year olds... 50 different languages... all levels of competency... etc...

Just seems California with the 6 largest economy in the world can and should do better...

They have endured their share of jokes in the past (largely deserved). Now with most routine matters being done on-line, they are dealing with the "problems" (reinstatements etc.) that take time and most likely will require more information than the person shows up with.

 

[flyerdan]

I was dreading having to make an appearance in person last month, but it was pretty much the exact opposite of what I was expecting. Not many people there at all (mid afternoon on a Thursday), had all my paperwork done in advance so the girl at the entry counter directed me to the express line, got there as the only other person in line was finishing up. Gave him my paperwork, looked into the eye test thing and ran my payment. Longest wait was for the girl at the photo section to come over and do the pic, less than 45 minutes block time.

 

[ultrarunner]

Sounds like Oregon has it together...

 

[flyerdan]

We make up for it in plenty of other ways, but DMV does let you do most stuff online. We did the enhanced license rigamarole back around 2008 and if I hadn't passed the age threshold for vision tests I could have renewed that online as well.

 

[ultrarunner]

It seems you only have the option every other time provided you have a good driving record and no problems with the Franchise Tax Board...

Of course those that are older must come in... wasn't always this way but it is now.

I remember my Grandmother at age 89 got a 5 year renewal license that appeared in her mail... she said they are cracked but who is she to complain? She passed away prior to the expiration date on that license.

The DMV use to have a Senior outreach program... I guess it has been gone about 20 years now... the tests were given at the senior centers quarterly... I asked if this service was still available and the reply was what century are we living in...

My step Grandfather was still working everyday well into his 80's... he was only able to get a restricted license but it let him get to work... license prohibited freeway and night driving... but it meant the world to him... and my grandmother who didn't have to drive and pick him up from the shop...

My next door neighbor who is a young 91 has had his California License since age 13... he lived in the middle of nowhere and was the only one in family to drive the produce from the farm into town... his father was laid up from a farming accident and his mother didn't have good enough vision... being the oldest it was on him...

Stories like this always fascinate me... at 18 he went to work driving a Union Oil Tanker truck... youngest driver... company policy said you needed to have 4 years driving experience and he met that easily.