General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums3 Hour Wait To Renew Driver's License. Denver, Colorado.
Over the years Colorado has closed satellite offices for driver's license service. There are only a handful of large offices in the Denver area area. And they are usually crowded from before opening until closing. Lines will form outside of office as early as two hours before opening. As the city grows services shrink.
The offices I was in had number and alpha codes for the kind of service needed. Even though there were up to 12 a stations they were never fully filled with service providers. There were only 2 to 4 stations open at any one time. And the office was noticeably understaffed for the traffic. The predicted wait for service fluctuated from 2 1/2 hours to over 3 hours in waiting time.
As I finally got to the counter it took only a couple of minutes to renew. Some customers had more complex needs and took longer. When I got my picture taken I talked to one of the supervisors who was training a new employee. I commented how understaffed they were. His reply was that in his six years with Dept of Revenue they never have had a full staff.
I witnessed small government in action. And it must be hard to do business when you work. Fortunately I am retired. AS I watched the TV screens scrolling through the processes and the documents needed it was obvious how impossible our legislators have made the process of doing anything in government.
As bad as it is in Colorado I wonder how much worse it must be in states where the GOP is trying to make getting services even more impossible. I used to work for the state and understand what it going on. As I perused the audience of mostly working class people who could not afford using so much time I realized that most of these people did not understand why the situation was as it was.
Government does work when there is adequate and trained staff. The reason that it does not work is that politicians will never allow enough government workers to provide service. Instead you understand and work the shit out the workers and burn them out.
Tanuki
(14,919 posts)and was shocked at how quickly and smoothly it all went. I had misplaced the form I received in the mail but went right up to a kiosk terminal, typed in all the needed info and then proceeded to the camera station where I waited less than 5 minutes to have my picture taken. The clerk then printed out a temporary license and sent me on my way. I got the actual card in the mail a few days later. I was pleasantly surprised. There were a lot of people sitting in the waiting area, so I don't know if they were applying for a first-time license, didn't feel comfortable using the self-serve kiosks, or what. I had taken the whole morning off from work to take care of this and I ended up having some extra free time to run other errands.
bigwillq
(72,790 posts)with little wait. I would say no more than 20 minutes, but usually quicker. I go to a DMV sub-station (not a main DMV office) in my small town and the wait is not too bad.
I will say the DMV, at most locations, in CT is notoriously slow and disorganized.
I had to get a new license when I lost my wallet, and had to go to a main DMV office, and that took forever.
Ink Man
(171 posts)in the golden state. The line goes out the door. My son just renewed his and it took over 3 hours.
Nye Bevan
(25,406 posts)Fortunately here in CT if you are a AAA member you can renew at your friendly neighborhood AAA office.
Hoppy
(3,595 posts)Our process used to be hell. Two governors ago, fixed it and it is a cake walk since. The only time there are lines is at the end of a month and the beginning when people forgot to renew and show up.
Tell your governor to get the system shaped up.
yeoman6987
(14,449 posts)You get registration done for the car. They are contracted companies. In and out with renewed registration and drivers license in 10 minutes. It is a time saver for those who want to avoid the DMV. Hopefully Colorado will do something similar.
Mnpaul
(3,655 posts)Last time I did mine, it took 2 minutes at the drive thru. I could have also done it online.
Laffy Kat
(16,383 posts)There's no way around it. If you want your DL renewed you get in line before the facility opens and if you're lucky you get out around lunch time.
kelliekat44
(7,759 posts)bermudat
(1,329 posts)When I moved from NC to Sacramento I took a newspaper with me to
read while waiting to take the test and get a CA license. Took less
than an hour.