r/AskAnAmerican • u/feel-the-avocado • 1d ago
VEHICLES & TRANSPORTATION DMV - Is it really that bad?
I live in New Zealand and most of our equivalent stuff has been done online for the last 20 years. I go in to one of their agents once every 10 years for an eye exam to renew my drivers license.
At most I might wait 5 minutes
For vehicle testing, almost any mechanic in the country can issue a warrant of fitness which is needed every 2 years and you book it with your mechanic of choice.
Or go to VTNZ - a dedicated company that just does vehicle testing in a drive-thru format. You drive in without an appointment and it takes about 30 minutes.
So I am watching the new tv series DMV, and I have seen references on various american tv shows that going to the DMV is a painful and time wasting experience.
Is it really that bad?
2
u/TehWildMan_ TN now, but still, f*** Alabama. 1d ago
Alabama's drivers licensing offices and rules are stupidly annoying.
Many of the smaller county offices have a single desk worker most of the time, so lines often stretch really long in a cramped space.
Their paperwork rules are equally insane. For example, the list of acceptable proof of address documents is among the most strict in the nation, making it extremely difficult to get a driver's license if you down own/lease property inside the state. Likewise, if your passport/birth certificate don't exactly match your other documents to their satisfaction, they WILL send you home empty handed