Department of Motor Vehicles

I would give 0 star if I could. Horrible customer service. Everything you need to do will take you at least 2 hours. People are rude and not understandable.

Only 4 lines open. I’ve been here for over an hour. OMG what our tax dollars pay for!

We live near by, this DMV would be the most convenience. Unfortunately, it’s the most pain in the bottom to deal with these people. We have all ours document paper, but the name ex: Jane Jones Smith on the bank paper, but on the immigration paper it’s Jane Jones, they wouldn’t except it. Ok, we went to our bank to get it change and come back and they still don’t excepted because we have to wait for the actual statement sent home and bring that instead. SMH, we were told by our bank teller near by that somehow that dvm is very annal about everything and we should try some other dvm. Which we end up doing, we went to the one in Alexandria. We had no problem with anything. So if anyone got their paper rejected for stupidist reason try some other DMV.

Appoinment times not met
They lack staff for tests and it doesnt matter to them even if the people who have appoinment have waited over an hour past their appoinment times
Disappointed

I waited over 2 ½ hours and was seen by 5 different incompetents to switch 1 set of plates. I was told that you cannot register an already registered antique plate unless you own another vehicle and leased vehicles do not count. That is not true. I registered the antique originally with a leased car. I then gave them the reg to another car I own. They said that car was not reg as the plates were cancelled which was not true so they said I had to reregister an already registered car to switch plates on the antique car and charge me to 1. $ 77.50 to reregister a car and 2. $ 50.00 to switch plates. The manager a Ms. Kelly Porter promised to call me today bit of course she did not. You cannot get a human on the phone and they hide and wear you down. Is it any wonder the people hate the DMV and the losers that work there. They prey on the taxpayer who pays their salaries.

There are long waits, an insufficient number of customer service agents for the amount of customers, and the security guards are horribly rude, bossy, and micromanaging as to whether you sit or stand regardless of extraordinary wait times and the pain that the hard plastic chairs cause on one’s back and legs.
The customer service representatives that give out the wait tickets do not review customer documents to ensure that you will be able to get the service you came for, so there is no guarantee that you will be helped after the long wait and time lost from work.
Make sure they get your name right on the license or your purgatory will be repeated. They have messed up my name before in spite of being provided my birth certificate and social security card.
You’d better enjoy whining children too, because the patrons like to bring their entire families.
I would suggest a better branch, but I do not know if one in the Alexandria/​Arlington area. Good luck! (You are going to need it).

Worst experience ever. If I can give negative stars, I would. Nobody can tell me the right papers to bring. Each time I show up at the counter, they need another document.
Employees are disgruntled and not friendly at all. Especially lady in counter 9. Can’t post her name but she treated me terribly. If u can avoid this dmv, do it! Never coming back to this hellhole. Waited more than 5 hours for what I needed!

There should be negative stars. Went there in mid-​April as a new resident to VA. I got there at 9:30 and didn’t get out until 4 pm. I didn’t get called to the window until 3:15. The most expensive driver’s license and car registration ever, because it wasted a full day of my life.
The people at the service desks move soooo slowly. And they all look at each other and it seems nobody wants to call more drivers to the counter than other workers. They just come across as lazy and useless.
There were people who appeared to be managers just standing in the background, walking around slowly without any sense of urgency or purpose. During the lunch hours, only 2 windows were open, despite the waiting area being standing room only.
I had all of my documents, proof of insurance, title, etc. I had my game together, they did not. They are awful. Just horrible.
What really is awful… is that when you enter the building, you have to wait in line 20 minutes to get a number. You wait in line to get in line.
The estimated wait time on their web site kept reading 35 minutes, But my wait time was 5 ½ hours.
But who am I to complain? Oh, the lowly tax payer and fee payer that pays their salaries. What a nightmare!

I needed to register a car from out of state, took me 3 times to get it right.
The 1^st time, the staff wouldn’t let me register cause there are 2 names (with an «or»)
on the title, but she was cold but seemed professional.
The 2^nd time, a different staff, she barely looked at me or the original document, she just wanted me to pay for the license plate. I didn’t mind her indifferences, she is a gov employee! and I just wanted to get it done.
I got home, read the document and found she got the year of the car wrong, made it there one more time to get it corrected.
Took 2 hours each trip, what a waste of time.
My advise: avoid DMV at all costs, do any thing on line if possible and if you have to go to DMV read each document they gave you carefully. They don’t care about what they do and if they got it wrong, they would claim it is your responsibility.

I tried to leave zero stars but the app did not let me!
So where do I start…
1.Don’t ever trust the approximately wait time wait option online. It showed 17 min but when I arrived the line was 12 people outside and 157 inside. I think that DMV haven’t evolved i the ways they operate in the last 60 years. It’s all designed to make people suffer.
2.If you have to register a car especially if there will be a lean on it do a research what to fill out where on the title because after 2 hours and 17 minutes wait they will tell you to come back again. So there goes your day off from work.
3.Don’t ever think that you can register a vehicle under your wife’s name if she is not present even if you are the co owner of the vehicle.(I’ve heard people buy gifts to their wives and register them with no issue. Not in VA).Even if you take all paperwork related to you, your wife and the vehicle they will find something to make you come back.
4.Staff!Well I could write a whole chapter on this but one word would describe it best «incompetent».
So just an advice.
Find a DMV Select which will take ¹⁄₁₀ of the wait time of a regular DMV and the staff will probably be much, much more helpful.(Just keep in mind they do not issue/​renew drivers license).

Staffs so lack of knowledge take me more than 3 hrs to verify my documents. They don’t even know about immigration law and how to read I-​20 of F-​2. Even head department never listen to me and saying the words that show lacking of Knowledge. In the head of paper will always show F1 but in SEVIS section will show «Dependent» that’s F-​2. They don’t know and don’t listen. They said because of me changed status from F1 to F2. What the Duck ??? I never been F1. Thanks for your great service for foreigner.

I showed up early during the week with every document I needed. My experience was great and my number was called before I had time to fill out my paperwork.
I think the key with any DMV is to not go on a weekend and be prepared as best you can be. The people here seem friendly enough. Just be organized and go during off peak hours. That’s the key.

Dog like faces too racist they will try to make you stuck at every point too much confused people

Considering the many customers that come through its doors, this DMV does a good job of ensuring that everyone gets the individualized attention required. Just be sure to bring all of the documentation required before checking in at the service desk.
If you need to take the written portion of the driver’s license test, be advised that the DMV requires that you answer all of the questions correctly, before proceeding the behind-​the-​wheel examination.

Sometimes I wonder how the people working here even got the job. There’s no sense of urgency and they could care a less if you get taken care of. Never coming back on a Saturday ever again.

They are lucky they work for the government, because in any other company these people would be laid off right away. Very rude, extremely inefficient, and inept. Where else are you going to go for a drivers license? So expect more of the same… Wasted three hours of my life this morning…

I’ve been there twice, so far, and received friendly, helpful service each time. I appreciate that the website posts current wait times. FINALLY a DMV that is decent! Great job, Franconia crew.
(P.S. Like all DMVs, this place is a people-​watchers dream. Just try to forget that you’ll soon be sharing the road with all the other people you see in there. Ignorance is bliss!)

I needed to get my license for the first time. That meant I had to take the driving test aka road skills test (i am over 19) in order to get it.
I arrived at 3pm. I got my ticket at 3:12pm. I waited until 4:24 for them to call my number. A 5:30, i took my test. The test was no more than 5 minutes long. I got back at 5:45pm
The lady who did my examination was very nice and funny.
For the amount of people there, I consider that fast.
My recommendations for anyone taking the road skills test. Arrive as late as possible. This way, you will be one of the last ones to take the test. Odds our, they will give you a short and easy test. The parking will be easy because their are no cars there. If you go in the morning, the examiners could bring their home issues to work.
As for the test itself. Know your car and all the functions. Start the car when told. First thing you should do is put on your seat belt. Check your mirrors (both rear and side mirrors) frequently. Do this especially when you turn. During turns, take your time. Go fast but not too fast. Steer however you are most comfortable. When backing out of a parking space, keep both hands on the wheel.

Been here for 1.5 hours so that should sum up how annoyed I am.
It is so busy so I do not understand why there are no people helping at each cubicle. The service is so slow. Sat for over an hour only to get told I cannot be helped because my payment is not showing up on the computer-​if though I had an email to verify this payment.
Will try the one at Mill Road-​I guess!!!

This is a really nice DMV where the people who work here actually care about what they’re doing. Whenever I go here, I get really excellent advice and guidance.
You can save time by coming in here instead of trying to do complex tasks over the web. Incredibly efficient, results oriented with a «how can we solve this problem?» attitude.