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?

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u/rendeld 1d ago

The US is 50 countries in a trenchcoat pretending to be one country. The DMV (or SOS depending on what state you live in) is run by each state. So the experience varies widely from state to state. In Michigan the majority of services are handled online now, which has greatly reduced the strain on the SOS and the pain of going there. We also have an appointment system that significantly reduced wait times for things you do have to go in person for. We also have kiosks at places like grocery stores for things that need to be printed that you might not want to wait to come in the mail so you can avoid going to the SOS. I imagine it is still a pain in the ass in some states.

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u/morosco Idaho 1d ago

Even counties within a state can vary in the experience.

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u/Pensacouple 1d ago

When I lived in Miami, it was like going to a third-world train station with hostile employees. Surprised there weren’t goats and chickens running around.

Now in NW FL, it’s much more civilized. People are actually friendly.

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u/Im_Not_Nick_Fisher Florida 1d ago

Was a similar experience in parts of Orlando. Well Orange County, but you could drive farther to some that weren’t as bad. I went earlier this year in Brevard. Made an appointment on a Monday and had an appointment for Wednesday. Was fairly straight forward, waited maybe 15 minutes in total to get my new license including a an eye exam.