Department Of Licensing

I’m from Las Vegas, where the DMV is a whole day endeavor and a place of depression. I went here on a Saturday afternoon. I needed to change my NV license into a WA license. I had pre-​registered online prior to coming and brought my verification number. The wait was not bad at all! I think I only waited 15 minutes until I was called up. The lady that helped me was very nice and we ran through the process quickly with no problems. I brought my passport and social security card just in case but didn’t need it. The lady told me that someone will call my name to take pictures. I only waited for 5 minutes to take my picture and get my temporary ID and was done! New record for me!

Went in on a Thursday late afternoon to update my license photo and address. No line at all, plenty of parking. The people working here (I spoke with 4 of them) are the most pleasant, sweetest, best humored team I’ve come across working at a government agency, ever. (Usually none of us like the DOL, DMV, etc ha)
Granted, it was the end of the day and they were about to go home but honestly I don’t think that was it — they seem like a great set of co workers that actually like their jobs and create a good atmosphere to be in. I was in and out in just a few minutes. I usually end up at the DOL at least once a year for one reason or another and next time I’ll make the drive to this one in Tacoma instead of federal way cuz it was a more pleasant experience.

When I went there I had to wait 5 mins till I was helped. If you’re from Cali, you know the DMV is the worst place to go since the lines are miles long! It might be just the day I went but I didn’t have to wait long! I appreciate they got me in and out quick status!

Website claimed 25 minutes when I checked in, ended up taking over 90 minutes. D. Washington at the main counter is a worthless P.O.S. We acted like any question was beneath him, then when I came back and asked him if the number skip and gave me even more attitude. I know they do, because when be fist came in, I was only 3 numbers behind, then the numbers dropped 6 down before me. I stood next to the monitor and the person before and after me were called 2 minutes apart. That d. bag at the front claimed they called my number twice, wouldn’t give me a timeframe for when I was called or how long I would have to wait. He then tried to use the excuse that a line was forming to get me out of line. This just set me to a new level of annoyance. I asked to talk to his boss, and he claimed he was in a meeting and would email him. Clearly his boss wasn’t as he came up to me before I could sit down. His boss and the 3 other people were nice, but their number system is clearly flawed. People who were there for other issues came in after me and left before. Luckily his boss took care of the situation and got me seen right away. I am filing a formal complaint on D. Washington.

Five stars! I had not been looking forward to going through the process of having my driver’s license renewed at the Yakima Ave. office, but I was pleasantly surprised. At the entrance we were greeted efficiently and were directed to take a seat. After a 15-​minute wait my number came up on the screen. The congenial officer competently updated my information and gave me the vision test. After taking my seat again, my attention was drawn to the officer taking the photographs. As I watched, he had everyone in smiles, and me too after a wait of less than ten minutes. Well done, Yakima Ave. DOL!

Thank you!

So this place is just like every other Department of Licensing… this one is well staffed. It is clean and maintained and the people here aren’t terribly unhappy. Lots of places to sit and the lady at the front desk will direct you where to go. They have a nice day greater. For those of us who cannot see very well and they also call out your number. You go up to do your business, get your picture taken, and out you go. Record time for the DMV!

What a helpful, cheerful staff! They turned a horrible day (lost my ID during a stressful move) into one of ease. So grateful!

My whole experience would have went smoothly if it wasn’t for one little thing…
First of all I am not used to how the county (perhaps state government) government offices work in Washington. The Department of Licensing is not open on Mondays. It is just like Tacoma’s Public Library System, not open on Mondays. The licensing department is however open on Saturdays which is an attempt to cater to people who work during the week. In Colorado and Wyoming, two states I have lived in the past it simply was not an option to do business with these kinds of offices on the weekend because they were closed. So I assumed that it would be the same here, which it is not. So I got surprisingly frustrated when I went to this office on a Monday only to find it closed. Once I got over it I just chalked up this experience as a kind of my own regional or state ethnocentrism at work.
So I got over that and went back in the middle of the week. I went to the receptionist, got a number, ok everything running smoothly.
I sat for maybe about 25 minutes, got called up, past the eye exam and paid, ok, good…
I asked the man if it was here where you sign up for voter registration.
«You said no on that», he said
I remember him just saying ONE question to me and that was if I wanted to be a donor, which I said «no» to.
He couldn’t go back and fix it so I had to go to other Pierce County offices to get that done which wound up being an extremely frustrating experience because I went to two or three different offices at different county buildings only to be told to go somewhere else but FINALLY the voter registration got done. THAT minor inconvenience at the licensing department turned out to be a BIG hassle that felt like it lasted all afternoon, no thanks to my GPS that kept sending me to the wrong place!
Other than that the people that worked at the licensing department were surprisingly warm, cheerful and friendly. At least where I come from government employees often had a callous, disconnected demeanor to them. So in that regard it was very refreshing. I just wish my day went more efficiently than how it actually did due to an oversight.

They opened at 830 on the Friday we went and there was already a substantial line outside of trusty future licensees and test takers. Although the line looked kind of daunting, things moved pretty quickly once the doors were unlocked. And then…*ominous music* they had an issue with the ticket printer. They quickly got that problem fixed and the lady that was assisting directied people to the correct counters in both English and Spanish.
It only took us 25 minutes to get in the doors, get our ticket and get called. They really cleared the line in less than 45 mins. My friend lost her license from another state and that state wouldn’t reissue the license to her WA address so she had to redo the driving and written test.
My friend passed the written test and was scheduled to come back for the driving test. On a side note, I guess the rep at the window told her that she could have just gotten her driving record from the state in which her license was issued and they would have given her a license off that. Oh well, good for her to know next time since she’s military.