The Worst Things About Going to the DMV
Nobody likes going to the DMV. Unfortunately, it’s just a part of life, particularly for people who drive, which is most of the country. And even if you never drive, chances are that you’ll need to go there for at least an ID card because there are literally no fun things you can do as an adult without one.
Everyone has a thing they hate the most about the DMV, and experiences may be vastly different depending on the location. That being said, these are some of the most common complaints about going to the DMV, particularly in more heavily populated areas of the United States.
If you hate going to the DMV as much as the rest of us, you’ll likely relate to this list of the biggest gripes. These are the worst things about going to the DMV!
Limited Hours
Need to get to the DMV? Unfortunately, the only hours available are all the times you have to work, so that means you have to use your precious PTO for the most joyless few hours of your life.
While you could go on Saturday in some states, that’s not a great decision as it’s typically packed with everyone who absolutely cannot take time off during the week.
Gathering the Necessary Paperwork
Gathering the necessary paperwork for your DMV is perhaps one of the most stressful aspects of getting ready for the appointment itself. One missing document and your trip to the DMV was nothing but a waste of gas.
If you don’t want to have to make a new appointment and go back to the DMV, then you better triple-check that you have all of the documentation you need and gather well in advance so you aren’t scrambling to find anything last minute.
Unclear Procedures
Going to the DMV is never as simple as it is described online, and the procedures seem to be different every time and at every location.
All the confusion about what you need for your appointment, where you are supposed to go, and who you are supposed to talk to makes things take a lot longer than they should. To add to that stress, the employees act as if you should know everything before you get there based on the vague online instructions, making you feel incompetent in the process.
Taking Tests
Just when you thought you only had to deal with tests in school, the DMV slaps you with some written tests about rules nobody remembers once they start driving. After years of having a license, sometimes the rules change, and you’ll have to be familiar with those changes.
Taking tests, particularly with so much at stake, is anxiety-inducing and just adds to the comfortability factor of going to the DMV. The whole process seems designed to strike just about every nerve.
Anxiety-Inducing Crowds
Waiting in line isn’t just monotonous. For many of us, it’s also anxiety-inducing. For those of us with social anxiety, especially, being around crowds is draining enough you might have to take the rest of the day off.
In addition to being surrounded by dozens of people every where you go in that tiny office, you have everyone talking at the same time, which can be distracting and nerve-racking at the same time.
The Lines
The lines at the DMV are notoriously long, and who in their right mind likes waiting in line?
The lines at the DMV, even if you go early in the morning, can be incredibly long, depending on the day of the week. And the location doesn’t seem to matter because it’s usually one DMV shared by multiple cities.
Slow Service
Even if the lines aren’t long, the service can be incredibly slow. Sometimes, it’s because new employees are unsure of how the system or new technology works, and other times, it’s because the employees are taking their sweet time, even though they rush you.
Most of the time, it’s because of people who have a lot of questions – or are confused about the procedure because the website never makes it quite clear, but we’ll get to that in a moment.
Finding Parking
DMVs always seem to be located in the most inconvenient spots in your town, and there’s never enough parking. You’ll have hundreds of people waiting in line at the DMV, but there are not nearly enough spots in the DMV parking lot.
You’ll often be forced to park out on the street somewhere, but far away from the DMV build, because there are usually “No DMV Parking” signs posted all around the surrounding area.
The Rude Workers
Many DMV workers act like they have the worst job in the world and seem exceedingly unhappy with their life choices, which, in turn, they seem to take out on us drivers.
Their customer service skills are practically non-existent, and you’ll be lucky even to get an insincere greeting of any kind. Sure, some DMV employees may be an exception, but most of the time, you are getting scolded or talked down to, and there’s nothing you can do about it.
Difficulty Getting an Appointment
If you need to go to the DMV, you had better know that months in advance, or you’ll be waiting for eternity as a walk-in. DMV appointments are scarce, and you typically have to book them far in advance to get your preferred time.
To make matters worse, getting a DMV appointment doesn’t free you from having to wait in line or even guarantee your time of service. Your appointment just gets you in a smaller line with less wait time.
Getting Up Early for Your Appointment
If you don’t already know, the best DMV appointment times are early in the morning. The later you go, the bigger the crowds and the bigger the wait times. If you don’t have an appointment at all, you definitely want to get there when they first open.
Getting there early enough means getting dressed earlier, eating your breakfast, and getting your coffee well before they open. You’ll be tired and miserable, but you’ll have to tough it out.
Paying Fees
First, there are the fees for getting a learner’s permit, and then there’s the fee for the license that you have to renew every few years. But that’s not enough, apparently. You also have to pay them for simply owning a car, and the registration fee is hundreds of dollars you lose each year – and more if you’re late.
These fees pay for the institution that’s strong-arming you in the first place, and allegedly to pay for infrastructure – as if those potholes in your neighborhood are ever going to get fixed.
DMV Photos
Either DMV employees are absolutely the worst photographers known to man, or they purposely make us look as bad as possible by taking our photos at the most inopportune moment.
You can’t see what your face looks like when they take it, so your eyes might be half-closed or your mouth is doing something funny. On top of that, the camera is positioned at the most unflattering angle possible.
Listening to People Argue
Being at the DMV is stressful for employees and patrons alike, and this sometimes leads to arguments that slow down the whole process and make everyone else more frustrated.
Sometimes, DMV employees just can’t do what they want, and arguing with them will do absolutely nothing to change that. If you forgot some documentation at home, the employee can’t make an exception just for you. Nothing is up for debate.
Unpredictable Wait Times
Wait times can are usually unpredictable. There are so many factors that go into wait times that it’s impossible to know how long you’ll be at the DMV for any given day.
The time of year, time of day, and day of the week can all factor into how long your appointment could take. But on top of that, the DMV is operating on a case by case basis, and some people can take longer to serve than others. There’s no way to plan your schedule around going to the DMV. You may have to devote at least half your day going to the DMV.
Uncomfortable Temperatures
Adding to the complete lack of comfort, it seems every DMV is without a working thermostat. The DMV is either too cold or too hot. So, there’s no way to know what you should even wear to the DMV!
Sometimes, just the sheer number of bodies in a DMV elevates the temperature, making you sweat in places you didn’t know you had. Going to the DMV in the summer? Forget about it!
Filling Out Forms
The DMV always has forms for you, some asking the same questions year after year with new phrasing that invokes confusion in everyone answering those questions.
You might have to ask for clarification, in which case, you’ll be taking up more of your time and everyone else’s time. Fill out the forms incorrectly, and you’ll have to go back and fix them. Why does it feel like every DMV procedure is designed to waste your time?
Limited Online Access
While you can do some things, like pay registration fees online. There are always several other steps that require you to go to the DMV anyway, so very few DMV processes can be completed online.
For instance, you can upload documentation for your vehicle registration but that doesn’t save you any time or hassle, because you still have to bring that documentation with you and the employee still has to look it over. Complete waste of time.
Language Barriers
It’s important to remember that America is a country of many cultures and ethnicities, many of which English is not their native language. Nobody working at the DMV seems to know that, however.
DMV employees will get noticeably frustrated with non-native English speakers, and nobody at the DMV seems qualified to speak to them in their native language. As a result, the language barrier causes confusion and, of course, longer wait times.
Limited Seating
Just as with the parking spaces, seating at the DMV is limited, too. You’ll often have people line up outside, and you’ll be waiting forever until you actually get seated. Even once you get your number, you might be standing around for a while.
Seating is only available until they first call you. After that, they’ll send you somewhere with no seating. You’ll have to stand for a while or sit crisscross on the floor like you are a preschooler. And no, you can’t sit there because that’s the DMV testing area…
