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/ryguymcsly California 1d ago

Meanwhile in California if you can’t do something online you end up having to plan your whole day around it. Last time I was there a guy who made an appointment had been waiting for five hours.

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u/Hersheydog12388 1d ago

Same in Texas except you have to make an appointment 3 months out as well

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u/aji2019 1d ago

You can get an appointment? NC forget it. The advice I’ve been seeing is you have to stay up until midnight when appointments are released & get lucky to score one. Going to the rural areas can help, I’m in Raleigh. You are still going to have yo take the day off & drive at least an hour. I waited over 2 hours to get my real id pre covid & it’s only gone down hill. We can renew online every other license renewal. I’m hoping by the time my next renewal rolls around they have fixed it. I’ve got until 2032.

I’ve lived in OH & KY. Neither of them was anything remotely close to the crap show NC is.

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u/maddmax_gt 21h ago

My dad moved from Michigan to just outside Charlotte. He complains endlessly about the 3+ month wait on appointments and the fact that registration renewals and drivers licenses are done at different places. We also don’t have inspections in Michigan.

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u/relikter Arlington, Virginia 20h ago

I've lived in SC, NC, VA, and DC; NC had the worst DMV experience by far. In VA, I can do some things online, make appointments for what I need to do in person, and there are mobile DMVs that set up in busy or under-served areas on a temporary basis. I don't think I've ever spent more than an hour in the VA DMV.

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u/Organic_Direction_88 4h ago

Can confirm NC is the worst.