# The Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles . . . **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [August 19, 2019, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903 "2019-08-19T20:15:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 2:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/21 "2019-08-21T02:36:02Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > The DMV and VA are what scare a lot of Americans from socialized medicine. Er, whut??? DMV has nothing whatsoever to do with medical treatment. The VA (Veteran’s Administration) does, sometimes, but TruCelt was referring to VA as in Virginia. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/22 "2019-08-21T02:41:37Z")
A couple years back, a friend forgot to renew her license in time (this is also in Virginia). Turns out there’s a bit more burden of proof to get it renewed if you’ve let it lapse. Only… she’s a naturalized citizen (which I hadn’t known; she doesn’t have any kind of non-US accent that I can tell). So she showed up with all the paperwork, including her original naturalization certificate - and the DMV would not accept that. See, there’s some Homeland Security database - and she wasn’t in that. She wound up having to get her state representative involved (maybe it was her US representative)… then all of a sudden everyone was very, very nice to her. Someone else I know was reported to the DMV as having dropped insurance. By a company she had not EVER done business with. She had insurance on the car - continuous insurance. She had proof of this. There was never a lapse in coverage. But again, the VA DMV refused to renew her registration without her paying a large reinstatement fee because of the non-lapsed insurance. It’s a scam, pure and simple. ---
**Author:** ![Anny\_Middon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc79bd/32.png) [@Anny\_Middon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anny_Middon)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/23 "2019-08-21T16:43:54Z")
Not sure if my experience holds true throughout the Land of Lincoln, but it seems to me that once Jesse White became Secretary of State the DMV experience gradually became much less unpleasant. The last two times I was at my local DMV office, I was out of there in 15 minutes or less. The people who waited on me were professional and courteous. There’s a desk just in side the door with staff that ask the reason for your visit and direct you to the appropriate line. If applicable, these “triage” clerks also remind you of what documents you need, so that you don’t have to wait in a line only to find you need to go home to fetch something. Is there an elected official in VA that has ultimate responsibility for the DMV? If so, why is that person re-elected? Maybe it’s time for some Virginia voters to volunteer for the campaign of the opponent. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/24 "2019-08-21T17:22:37Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Er, whut??? > DMV has nothing whatsoever to do with medical treatment. > > The VA (Veteran’s Administration) does, sometimes, but TruCelt was referring to VA as in Virginia. Yeah, but they both ( DMV and Veteran’s Adminisration) have to do with government bureaucracy - which is what some people are afraid of - although I haven’t noticed insurance company bureaucracy is any better ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/25 "2019-08-21T19:17:55Z")
> [@doreen](#): > > Yeah, but they both ( DMV and Veteran’s Adminisration) have to do with government bureaucracy - which is what some people are afraid of - although I haven’t noticed insurance company bureaucracy is any better That’s the depressing thing. The government screws up but so do private businesses. You’re doomed no matter what. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/26 "2019-08-21T19:25:07Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Silly Americans; be more Canadian! No shit. This is why we don’t trust the government to do anything right. I recently ended up in a shit-show with the Massachusetts DMV because of a false OUI charge. 30 days license suspension. There is no public transportation where I live so I just went on vacation for a month instead of losing my job, my kids and everything else. An OUI charge in Massachusetts means on automatic 30 day license suspension with no recourse. It didn’t matter that I just got out of the hospital the day before, I wasn’t driving and could not complete the field sobriety tests because of a serious injury. It took three tries to get my license reinstated. I followed everything they said in the letter and it still didn’t work. I got turned away the first two times. I finally got my fiance to drive me to Cape Cod at 4 am to the one office that had positive reviews. The lawn chairs were no joke. It is like camping out for concert tickets. We weren’t even the first in line. I had all of my paperwork in order and still had to go through a “hearing” from someone that isn’t a judge, jury or executioner but apparently still has the authority to destroy your life based on what they ate for breakfast. Those are days and more money than most people make in a year just because of a simple accusation. I have no idea what other people do. People that live in the western part of the state may have to drive (oh wait, they can’t) 3 hours or more and arrive at the ass-crack of dark to maybe see if someone can help them or possibly the next day or next week depending on how the mood strikes and the stars align. Thankfuly, the people ahead of me in line were little old ladies that happened to be best friends with state senators. We took photos and videos to document how people were being mistreated. I have a very good public defender as well that is ready to take down an entire affluent town’s police department for corruption and failure to follow proper procedures plus abuse while in custody. In short, I am pitting the state against itself and I hope they all burn in hell. That was some money well spent on their part. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/27 "2019-08-21T21:02:41Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > An OUI charge in Massachusetts means on automatic 30 day license suspension with no recourse. It didn’t matter that I just got out of the hospital the day before, I wasn’t driving and could not complete the field sobriety tests because of a serious injury. You got an OUI and were not even driving a vehicle? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/28 "2019-08-21T21:22:59Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > Me: I didn’t do anything wrong here. _explains_ > > DMV Clerk: That’s fine then. Just bring in the proof of that and pay the $500 compliance fee and you’ll be all set. > > Me: What?!? If I prove I did nothing wrong I still get a $500 fine? > > DMV Clerk: It’s not a fine; it’s a fee. > > F these everloving f’ers and their f’ing book of regulations. This is what happens when you give a State agency enormous power over the individual but then the legislature cuts their budget year after year. After a while everyone they see is just another @$$hole who has voted in the jerks who are freezing their salaries, increasing their hours and laying off their co-workers. > > I know why they hate us, and I know why we hate them. And all along, all of us should be locking arms and storming the State Senate building together. Starting a story _in media res_ CAN be an effective writing technique. CAN be. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/29 "2019-08-21T21:26:03Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > No. They accused me of not having insured a vehicle after I no longer owned it. Then they told me to prove I no longer owned it then, pay the “Compliance Fee” and they would unsuspend my license. What were the circumstances under which the DMV was unaware of your ownership of the vehicle? ---
**Author:** ![TheCuse](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thecuse/32/2854_2.png) [@TheCuse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheCuse)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/30 "2019-08-21T21:52:48Z")
Not about the problem itself, but some posters mentioned the long waits at their DMV. I simply went on-line and made an appointment with my DMV office. Had to renew my license and upgrade to a Enhanced License. I was in and out in less than 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![doreen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/858c86/32.png) [@doreen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doreen)\ **Post date:** [August 21, 2019, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/31 "2019-08-21T22:00:04Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > No. They accused me of not having insured a vehicle after I no longer owned it. Then they told me to prove I no longer owned it then, pay the “Compliance Fee” and they would unsuspend my license. Is this by any chance what got you- > [@](#): > > 1. Notify the insurance company that you sold, traded or donated the vehicle. > You must notify the insurance company when you have sold, traded or donated a vehicle. If you bought another vehicle, you may transfer insurance coverage to the new vehicle, providing the required information to the insurance company. Be sure to obtain liability insurance for the other vehicle before you register it with DMV and transfer the old plates or purchase new plates for it. > > Avoid Future Problems: Insurance companies notify DMV whenever they cancel, add or write new coverage for a motor vehicle. Therefore, if your insurance company cancels liability coverage on your vehicle because you no longer own it and you don’t notify DMV, our records will show that the vehicle is registered in your name but is uninsured. Since it is unlawful to have an uninsured registered vehicle, DMV may suspend your driver’s license and vehicle registration privileges. I know in NY, if I don’t turn in my plates immediately when there is an insurance lapse I have to pay a fine depending on how long the lapse is and my license/registration may also be suspended. It doesn’t matter when/if I sold the vehicle - what matters is when I surrendered the plates and cancelled the registration. ---
**Author:** ![Fair\_Rarity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fair_rarity/32/153_2.png) [@Fair\_Rarity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fair_Rarity)\ **Post date:** [August 22, 2019, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/32 "2019-08-22T00:54:36Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > I have no idea what other people do. People that live in the western part of the state may have to drive (oh wait, they can’t) 3 hours or more and arrive at the ass-crack of dark to maybe see if someone can help them or possibly the next day or next week depending on how the mood strikes and the stars align. I live in the urban part of the state (I am not snooty enough to use “commonwealth” without good reason) and I have to travel quite far to get to the RMV. We used to have a branch the next city over but it closed. Now I have to drive TOWARDS Boston to get to the “nearest” branch, but that would be madness. I don’t live close enough to easy public transportation to take that there. And it would take a couple buses and/or T-line switches once I got to a bus stop. Probably 4 buses, two trains. So when I have to go, I have to drive halfway to NH because at least that branch has a lot of parking and a decent waiting room and at least it used to have a sort of triage desk where you’d check in and the clerk would make sure you got in the right queue. For minor things, getting a AAA membership might be worth it, depending on one’s state. I renewed my license there, converting to Real ID. Sure, it was a long wait because apparently 1/3 of Massachusetts shares my birthday, but I think generally it’s a quick in and out and my local office is 15 minutes away in a location I don’t mind driving to… It’s better to drive AGAINST rush hour traffic than with it. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 12:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/33 "2019-08-27T12:49:16Z")
> [@TruCelt](#): > > all of us should be locking arms and storming the State Senate building together. > [@Rick\_Kitchen](#): > > I think an email to your local state legislator would not be the wrong approach here. Couldn’t hurt. Also, the entire state legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia is up for re-election _this_ November, just 70 days from today. It’s currently under GOP control by the smallest of margins: by a 51-49 margin in the House of Delegates, and a 21-19 margin in the state Senate. If you live in Virginia and want to vote out the Republicans who underfund government at every turn, forcing agencies to rely on crazy fees like this, this is your big chance. Hell, I’ve lived in Maryland for the past 20+ years, but I’m gonna be contributing to Dem challengers in Virginia this fall. I might even drive across the Wilson Bridge to knock on doors for a campaign or two if I have the time. > [@Bouncer](#): > > I’d suggest you write the commissioner a polite email. > > Richard D. Holcomb > [Richard.Holcomb@dmv.virginia.gov](mailto:Richard.Holcomb@dmv.virginia.gov) I’d _definitely_ try this. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/34 "2019-08-27T13:29:43Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > The DMV and VA are what scare a lot of Americans from socialized medicine. For-profit health insurance companies are why a lot of Americans don’t like the for-profit health insurance system. ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [August 27, 2019, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/35 "2019-08-27T22:08:35Z")
I wonder if people’s opinions of insurance companies have improved since the ACA kept them from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions. That was one of the major problems with private insurance a decade or more ago, after all: you could think you had coverage, but the insurers would jump on the least shred of evidence that you’d already had that condition before they started covering you, and that would be the ballgame. Remember how people used to have backyard fundraisers and stuff to pay for their treatments that their insurers wouldn’t cover? You hardly see those anymore, thank goodness. Back then, they were a reminder of just how terrible private insurance was. Now, not so much, which is why I wouldn’t be surprised if people think more highly of private insurance now. But if they do, it’s probably because of government regulation in the form of the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Zappa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71e660/32.png) [@Mama\_Zappa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Zappa)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/36 "2019-08-28T01:41:46Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > … > Remember how people used to have backyard fundraisers and stuff to pay for their treatments that their insurers wouldn’t cover? You hardly see those anymore, thank goodness. … Errrrr, this still happens. I know of a family in the area who had fundraisers to help with the bills for their seriously ill child. Even with insurance, there are a lot of leftover bills and expenses that insurance doesn’t cover. Back to the topic: Virginia DMV, Bleep you!! ---
**Author:** ![Atamasama](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/atamasama/32/12961_2.png) [@Atamasama](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atamasama)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/37 "2019-08-28T01:59:03Z")
> [@Mama\_Zappa](#): > > Back to the topic: Virginia DMV, Bleep you!! This is the Pit, so fuck ‘em. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 2:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/38 "2019-08-28T14:19:05Z")
> [@RTFirefly](#): > > I wonder if people’s opinions of insurance companies have improved since the ACA kept them from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions. That was one of the major problems with private insurance a decade or more ago, after all: you could think you had coverage, but the insurers would jump on the least shred of evidence that you’d already had that condition before they started covering you, and that would be the ballgame. No, now they refuse to say whether they cover that expense and/or how much it will cost until 3 months after you’ve had the procedure and get the bill and find out that your procedure was not an insured cost and you’re still on the hook for tens of thousands of dollars. > [@RTFirefly](#): > > Remember how people used to have backyard fundraisers and stuff to pay for their treatments that their insurers wouldn’t cover? You hardly see those anymore, thank goodness. Back then, they were a reminder of just how terrible private insurance was. Now, not so much, which is why I wouldn’t be surprised if people think more highly of private insurance now. But if they do, it’s probably because of government regulation in the form of the ACA. Now people are on [gofundme.com](http://gofundme.com) -1/3rd of the requests are for help paying with medical costs. The fundraising hasn’t gone away, it’s just gone virtual. But this is a rant about the DMV\*, not healthcare. \*And the WA state DOL is actually very good. Sorry for those of you in states where it sucks. ---
**Author:** ![control-z](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/eada6e/32.png) [@control-z](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/control-z)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/39 "2019-08-28T15:26:02Z")
IMHO, Virginia DMV does a lot right, but they do have a massive amount of rules and fees that can be wielded upon the unwary. ---
**Author:** ![BwanaBob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bwanabob/32/2985_2.png) [@BwanaBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BwanaBob)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2019, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903/40 "2019-08-30T15:12:23Z")
I thought it was common knowledge that the very last thing you do with any vehicle disposal (sale/transfer/junking) is inform your insurer to cancel the policy. All states go crazy over uninsured vehicles. It may cost you a few bucks to have coverage on a vehicle you no longer “own” but it is really the only right way to do it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-virginia-department-of-motor-vehicles/838903.md?page=3)