A 4 hour wait!
I had to renew my
driver's license today and apply for a Real ID. This meant that I had to
physically go into the DMV. Anyone who has been to the DMV knows what an
arduous process this usually can be. With the coronavirus raging, I imagine it
would even be worse.
My son went for his drivers permit a month ago and his story is an example of what I
feared. He arrived at the DMV at 2 pm and the security guard told him it would
take at least 2 hours. The line wrapped around the building. It was 90 degrees
outside and no shade. The guard told him that people start lining up at 6 am to
enter the building at 9 am. Looking at the sun, my son decided to try the next
morning.
He arrived the next
morning at 5:15 am with his camping chair and powered up cell phone and there
was one person ahead of him. In other words, three hours and 45 minutes before
the DMV opened people were already in line. When he left at 9:45 am, the line
was around the building again.
At my tender age of
49, my main concern was bathroom access. Waiting 4 hours wasn't a realistic
possibility.
Still I needed to
get the Real ID before October 1st if I hoped to fly within the U.S. and my renewal was coming up for my license. Yes,
you can still use a passport, but it is a bit more cumbersome and it feels
weird for me to travel within the US using a passport.
The DMV website does
tell you how long the current wait times are at each office. I figured I would
monitor the site once I had all the paperwork done and when I saw a wait under
two hours somewhere, I would head down.
So I started the
process of renewing online as my notification said I needed to do. The online
process takes a long time as you need to scan and upload four documents to the
DMV website for the Real ID. I pray I have no file capturing viruses on my
computer or I just made it super easy for someone to assume my identity. However, after
spending 30 minutes going through the process where I even had a choose which
DMV I would go to, I was rewarded with a confirmation number that said it was
as good as having an open appointment to show up at any time at the office I
selected and join the appointment line.
I read a review
online that said they had an appointment and were done in an hour. Someone else
said it was better to go later that earlier.
I arrived at 4:15 pm
the next day - 45 minutes before closing - and crossed my fingers. Sure enough,
there was a separate line for appointments - no one was in it. The walk-in line
which had already been capped for the day had 10 people. So if you are walking in, make sure you go before 4 pm.
The attendant after
finishing with his current client, called me forward, reviewed my documents,
and then sent me inside. Wait outside - 5 minutes. Inside, the waiting area were 18 chairs all spaced at least 6 feet apart. Behind the counter there was a masked
clerk at every other station. My number was called 10 minutes later. The employee asked me to put my
documents on the table and then step back to the circle in front of her window
- six feet away. She then scooted forward, did her work, and then scooted back. I
came forward, reviewed my documents, signed, and then paid for the renewal. She
then directed me to the camera room. After 10 minutes here, I was done.
In and out in 30
minutes. Very organized and efficient. Of course, I had the benefit of an
appointment. If I had to wait in the sun for three hours, I might have a
slightly different tune. So if you need a Real ID; complete the online paperwork; upload the documents; and save
yourself a ton of time.
Take care and be
safe.
Posts Tuesday and
Saturday
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