In my area it became really fast and efficient a few years ago. Even having a big TV screen telling you what order your name was coming up. They had a touch screen computer that you put in for what you were wanting to do and even a kiosk that spit out license plates…but suddenly, without warning, they took all that stuff out and went back to the old system of getting a number…usually a number like 87 as they were calling on number 6 and sitting there hoping you’ll hear the ghost whispering lady call your name as quietly as possibly only 2 times before moving on…so yeah, I hate the BMV again.
I won’t argue that… it is just that I’ve lived in this state ever since I’ve been driving and I’ve been trained from back when we used to write checks that it had to be Bmv and not Dmv so it has become my default. Didn’t realize it would be a controversy.
I recently hit the point where it couldn’t be done online but had to go in personally. I googled the locations and was met with terrible reviews about all the local location wait times. But I did find one that was in a tiny town about 20 miles north of me so I arrived there 15 minutes before opening, was the third in line and was done about 40 minutes later. Not terrible and not my worst DMV experience by a long shot.
That’s weird.
In Georgia it was,a few years ago, rechristened from “DMV” to “DDS” (Department of Driver Services). At great expense all the signs, stationary, paperwork, etc. were changed to reflect the new name. Ask any Joe Citizen where to get a car tag and s/he will tell you “Down at the DMV”. ;p
I don’t hang out at the DMV much. I’ve only owned one car and had my license renewed a few times as well as getting my license in the first place. Never, ever had a problem with it.
Thinking about it though, I’ve been to a different location for almost every transaction! I took my paper test at one location and failed it, so I took it again at another location and passed, and subsequently took the driving test there. I renewed my 21 year-old license at the location near college. Then they opened a location by my house and I went there to renew, and it moved so I went to the new location to get some paperwork I think, and then it moved again and I’ve been to the final place twice.
But yeah, it’s always been fine. I do most everything online now, except my license renewal.
I think he’s posted that he has the new Mustang version.
Out here in the sticks of South Dakota the driver’s licensing is done through the Department of Public Safety and is done at dedicated exam stations in the larger counties and at the county courthouse on certain days of the week in the smaller counties. The driver’s license can also be renewed by mail or online but there are some restrictions.
The license plates, registration and titling is done through the Department of Revenue - Division of Motor Vehicles and is done at the Treasurer’s Office of the county courthouse. License plates can also be renewed at the kiosks at some retail establishments such as grocery stores in the bigger counties as well as online or by mail.
I’ve never really had a long wait at either of the places and the people have always been pleasant.
I live in Ohio. I recall when I moved here I had to take my test far away in the main “city” in my county (do they have “county seats” here? I don’t know if that’s it or just coincidental). I could be completely wrong because everything from taxes to school districts is different than my previous state (MD, where I had to drive 30 miles for any vehicle/licensing service) But ever since then, I’ve been able to do every renewal function in a nearby strip mall office. I do tax/tags online.
You can drive 30 miles in MD? 
I saw BVM in the title, and as a former Catholic, the letters “BVM” only mean one thing to me: “Blessed Virgin Mary.” I thought this was going to be a thread about apparitions. Dang.
Carry on.
Well, that is still a nice car, but I probably will have to remain straight then.
(Goes out in garage. TUNK TUNK TUNK. Comes back in.) Seems pretty real to me.
It’s an ERA, one of the first factory-built ones they did.
It’s phenomenally accurate. Two true stories: I won Best of Class with it against a gennie and a Kirkham. And when I visited ERA a couple of years ago, one of the owner walked up and did a very cautious slow walk around it. Then he relaxed, and came in - he thought a gennie had dropped by to visit, until he saw some detail that told him it was one he had built.
PM me next time you’ll be east of Hartford.
I waited 33 years for mine… but I did have an E in high school. Really. It was a family friend’s that we stored, and he let me drive it a couple of times.
I’ve thought about trading down to something a little more practical for Nwingland weather, and I looked at E’s. Hunnert grand, Morty. A hunnert grand. Shit.
No, I have the old Mustang version. It’s on the rack next to the Cobra Cobra.
And, uh, on the huge shelf rack in front of it. It’s being reassembled. Slowly. Very slowly.
Damn… I’ll be in Philly this weekend but that is about as far east as I will get this summer. I don’t suppose you are in the mood for a little drive are you?
The building is called the Registry here in RI, but the actual department is DMV. And it’s awful. Luckily we can do a lot of the stuff at AAA now.
RMV here in MA. 'Cause, you know, we gotta be different.
Nothing too bad in NJ*, other than the one time the woman checking my ID glanced at my passport photo and stated I’d accidentally brought my mother’s passport. Mom was standing right next to me.
I was 19 in my passport photo. My mother, at the time, was 59. A young-looking 59, but, uh, still. Great for mom’s ego, not so much for mine.
*In a month or two I’m going to try and renew my license via mail, so I’m betting that’ll be an adventure…