Department of Motor Vehicles

If I could give no stars, I would. This DMV is very unfriendly, not on schedule when it is suppose to be open while everyone is waiting in line (I got here at 7:50, next thing you know it opens at 9AM) in the cold; the staff is just drinking coffee. They finally open at 9:05. Wtf? I finally come in and get the stuff to fill out (takes about 5 mins for me since I wanted to read thoroughly) I have to fill out and I go to the window where I saw my # was being served and it disappeared. I come to the lady and explained to her but she said she called me 10 mins ago which I thought was straight BS cause how are you going to do that when you know everybody still have to fill this dang form out? She obviously didn’t give a F so I had to get another number from a grumpy worker and mind you, it is 9 AM. All I’m saying is, NOBODY WANTS TO BE HERE SO AT LEAST PLEASE WORK AND HELP NICELY. Never coming here again.

totally incompetent employees website clearly states that you don’t need a smog check for transfer of title for a hybrid and the employee won’t follow the guidelines set out by dmv. What do you expect from government employees totally brainless

This trip wasn’t too bad. Came in last min to do my vehicle registration and checked in @431pm. I was out by 530. I would say I expected the wait time fully, not having an appointment. I was however, FULLY ENTERTAINED by the Unilocal reviews (probably created from a bunch of righteous yuppies) about how they don’t smile, (I hear their complaints in my head in a 2 yr old whiney voice) I wasn’t treated like a human, I didn’t have enough proof for them,… I had to run all the way back out to my car, blah blah blah wee wee wee all the way home! Grow the FRIK up people! Do you absolutely smile all darn day long at your job? Do you absolutely love your job every single day and wake up on a Saturday wishing you were at work? Cut these guys some slack! They are over worked, have long hours, and have you whining in their faces every single day of the week for 6 hrs+a day. Get in, sit down, shut up, and do your time like an adult! And my rep did smile at me.

Best DMV office I have visited. Frontliners are very friendly and accommodating, very welcoming people even though you don’t have an appointmemt as observed. It was not a bad wait either.

Is this DMV slow? Sure it is, but compared to other DMVs, this one takes the crown.
Not only are the staff super friendly, but if you did your research and are well prepared (all forms ready/​printed out), you can get things done and get out of here in less than 1 hour without an appointment.
Really, if you think about experiences at all other DMVs, the only downside to this place is its size not being big enough to accommodate all the parking and standing people.

my driving instructor was an elderly man & probably the only nice employee here! he had a positive attitude, very polite, pleasant to talk to & be around. this man was very respectful & the only instructor that ever made me feel comfortable during my test. he deserves more than 5 stars & i hope everybody treats him just as good as he treats them.
unfortunately, the rest of the dmv is another story. very slow service even with an appointment. you will still be waiting for atleast an hour! the lady at the drive test appointment window (13) was rude as hell! she told me to fill out a paper & go away. she even did the hand motions as though she was really pushing me away! how unprofessional & wrong. nobody smiles here or shows any emotion.
walnut creek is such a nice & upscale city so there is no reason why this dmv should be in such a crappy location.

Typical DMV in California. Short on smiles and long in lines.
Come on a cool day to avoid ripe scents in the air.
At least there is one technician playing some music at their station. Turnt up at the government job!
Parking can get packed.
MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!!!

This is the friendliest DMV I’ve ever been in. Everybody was exceedingly nice. I had an appointment and was in and out in under a half hour. It was a simple license renewal that I could’ve done by mail, but I wanted a new license with my new address. So no testing involved. In, out, zip, zip.
Another time I needed to replace my husband’s lost handicapped placard — I went in without appointment, waited behind just two people, they processed a new placard, and I was out again in under a half hour.
YMMV

This review is me rating this particular dmv. Overall, the experience of going to the DMV anywhere is generally one star. The reason I give this one 4 stars is because most of the time when I go there without an appointment there is a fairly short wait time. I have had good experiences with the people who work at this one too, as they are friendly and easy to talk to. The only reason for 4 stars instead of 5 is because one time I went in and it didn’t seem overly busy and the website said the wait time for Non appointment was 30 minutes when I got there. It took nearly an hour to get served. Perhaps is was just a one time thing. Maybe people have figured out that this dmv is fairly quick compared to most. Either way, a good experience considering the venue.

The wait is horrific. The staff treats people like cattle and animals. Though some people do act pretty stupid. It’s the DMV… I hate having to go to any of them.

Yes I know 5 stars at a DMV am I crazy. I have to hand it to Rita and Rollimari (not sure of the Spelling). I did my homework and scheduled an spot. But i had a complex registration issue regarding weight tickets and an incomplete registration. 3 transactions in all they were knowledgeable, courteous and very efficient. I was in and out in 23 minutes including wait time.
Note to the state of CA. These ladies are role models, everything you could hope for and should be recognized as such.
I’m definitely going back to window 11 next time at DMV Walnut creek. Thank you ladies.

WORST EXPERIENCE EVER. Took three hours to renew license, with an appointment! Was told by Jessica that my license was actually suspended and had been since Dec 2013. That September my car was sideswiped while parked and I sent DMV proof of insurance but they did not process it. They are supposed to notify in writing of a suspension which they also didn’t do.
Jessica kept telling me I didn’t have insurance and I argued that in fact I did, never had a lapse in coverage in my life. How could my license be suspended for 18 months and me not know it? How and I supposed to know her office did not do their jobs and process my paperwork — how exactly is that my fault and why should I have to pay for the DMV s multiple mistakes? She said she did not care and would not let me show her my valid insurance card. I had to call insurance company and they faxed proof of insurance.
After paying $ 77 to get renewal she informs me I have to take a written driving test, something I haven’t done since I was 16! Then she publicly shames me, says I am lucky she helped me at all, that as a woman, I needed to be careful how I conducted myself and that people were watching me. My jaw just dropped. She’s got a lot of nerve scolding me for defending myself while she basically treated me like a criminal Unbelievable! I’ve got news for you Jessica, you work at the DMV, you need to get over yourself!
At least I passed the test.

In general, I don’t have very high expectations for DMV’s (who does) so that’s why this gets 4 stars. Going to the DMV is definitely not equally enjoyable as a 4-​Yelp-​star restaurant but in relation to other DMV’s, this was a pretty good one. The 2 I’ve been to before are Pleasanton and Fremont so my opinion of Walnut Creek is relative to that.
Though there were still a lot of people at this location, the interior just seemed a lot roomier, rather than having 2 lines that extended out the door (Fremont) for Appts/​Non-​appts. I had made an appointment (for a Driving Test) and there was NO line at all. The woman that helped me was very kind and also had really nice hair!
I came here for my 3^rd driving test attempt (LOL) and I passed! I’ve also been told Walnut Creek has an easier driving test. I don’t think that’s necessarily, I wouldn’t say it was any easier than Fremont (where I took it the first 2 times) but I definitely practiced A LOT more in preparations for this test (at least 1 hr. each time avec mi papa). My examiner was quite amiable and we actually had a nice conversation throughout the exam — I feels like that’s not protocol — but hey, I passed: P.
NOTE **for those that are planning to/​thinking of taking their driving exam here**
Be careful on unprotected left turns and sometimes the speed limit isn’t clear — I went with 30mph whenever I didn’t know and that worked. If you’re not from Walnut Creek, definitely drive around the area a bit to get familiar with the streets and also there’s some nice shops you can go shopping (window– if you are low on the moolah like me)

Make an appointment! It just makes the entire process go by faster. But if you can’t, or it’s too late, then go Tuesday — Thursday from 10 AM — 1 PM and it isn’t busy at all (those are usually work hours I know but it’s the reason why there aren’t very many people during these times).
Took my behind-​the-​wheel driving test here and I passed! My proctor’s name was Michael and all he had me do was a whole bunch of turns (some of which were slightly tricky) but overall he was just looking to see if I was attentive and appropriately checked my blind spot.
Did not have a bad experience here at all. :^)

Fix your lines, you have one person at the desk while everyone waits. Start here and appointments should have 2 people directing. You guys suck, I wasted 15mins of the day waiting just to get a number. Fix your shit. I know I know I should of made an appointment, but I hate paying the state money. That’s why I dread coming here. All the wasted taxes that I pay with MFs standing around doing nothing. Get your ass up and get to work.
Hope one day this all goes online and they get rid of all you wasted taxes.

Terrible experience today visiting DMv walnut creek. I was here in line for two hours … and then they told me that I missed a paperwork. So I went to the local library and printed out. I HAVE TO GET BACK IN LINE AGAIN! …Another two-​hour waiting…
The person who helped me had no smile on her face, attitude is horrible. This criticism is written to her, not to other staff. I hope she can be more friendly and understand how our customer’s time has been wasted by her. She works at window9, July 1,2015 afternoon.
I would also give a big shout out for the excellent service window 1 and 2 provided me on my last visit here. They really helped me on my questions and kept my wait time as short as possible. That’s why I come back here today. But after today, this window 9 person really disappointed me

Lateef is the nicest lady I have ever encountered at the Dmv in walnut creek.
If you ever go to this DMV, pray that she’s the one at the front desk because once she clocked in, that line was moving.
Also, Lateef was very knowledgeable answering every question I had and gave me a few good tips on how you have a pleasurable experience at the Dmv. Thank you for your kindness today, it really helped me more then you could even imagine!

Make An Appointment — a month in advance.
Otherwise, pack lunch and bring a book. You may be waiting for over 3 hours.
Do not expect any common courtesy, but give it nonetheless.
Do not expect any apologies for their mistakes.
Do expect a chastising for whatever they feel entitled to chastise you for.
(Employees, please sanitize your hands when coughing and sneezing all over your hands and handling documents.)
There is no excuse for a well-​funded city like Walnut Creek to have such a low-​end DMV. The office is far too small and they are always short-​staffed even by DMV standards. The government offices are an indication of the city’s true level of commitment to improving the city.
Our library is impressive, but our DMV and Post Office are ridiculously underfunded. And is there any oversight committee for the DMV offices?
I would suggest trying a different branch, personally.
Good luck and may you have patience and a thick skin.

I have never publicly criticized an employee — EVER — but «Dianne» at the Walnut Creek DMV deserves it. She epitomizes the stereotypical unprofessional DMV worker — a stereotype I have never experienced in my life, until «Dianne.»
I made an appointment online. When I got to Dianne’s window, she abruptly told me I wasn’t on her list and I would have to provide a confirmation number. I trusted DMV’s online system (Heads up – apparently that’s a mistake) so I hadn’t written anything down. Despite the fact that this was DMV’s site’s failing, this is now my problem, and Dianne is sitting at her counter glaring at me. «Next!»
I was able to step away and find the number online and when I came back I told «Dianne,» «You could show a little more courtesy to people in my situation.» She held her hand up to my face and said, «Whatever.»
I sincerely hope that the next time someone treats «Dianne» with disrespect, she remembers her treatment of her fellow human beings. Dianne, I’m sure if you’re reading this, you’re thinking «Whatever,» but just remember what goes around comes around.

The people behind the counter here really have to put up with a lot of crap. The majority of those who come in here, appointment or not, are NOT fully prepared, go to the wrong window, and don’t even have the necessary paperwork for whatever their car needs. So I don’t really blame the clerks for their occasional rushed or short-​tempered attitudes, which ultimately trickles down to the people waiting.
My registration was late a couple months because my car would not pass smog and needed significant repairs. Although the clerk had to remind me of the late fees involved, she was helpful and understanding regarding my situation, and could tell my issue was legit and that I wasn’t trying to avoid paying. All in all, with an appointment, the whole process took under 30 minutes, and I got my sticker ON THE SPOT, instead of waiting an additional two weeks to get it mailed to me. If you have the time and want to get it done early, doing it that way is a good idea.
Adding a second «appointments only» line would move it along a little quicker. But for this visit, no complaints.