Motor Vehicle Department

If you do your research and bring everything you need for your specific task — plus a good book, your headphones, etc. — you can be in and out of this DMV very quickly. Sure, go in with low expectations Yes, everyone who works here seems a little snippy, not interested in small talk, and not necessarily interested in doing this quickly. But this is where you’re stuck, and you can prepare for it. Plus, it’s a great spot for people watching.
There’s a small deli/​counter on the first floor if you need to snag some food.

This DMV is hot garbage. Everyone knows it. Everyone hates it. Go to the one in Enfield, by the time you drive to Enfield, get your business done, and drive back, MAYBE the people at the back of the line that extends far outside will have made it inside the doors to wait in the massive line inside. This is the worst place I’ve ever been, and I’ve swum in the Connecticut River. Incidentally, the river smelled better too.

Going to DMV is a horrible experience and this one is among the worst. While I prepare well before I venture here, it still takes 30 — 120 minutes to complete simple tasks. The people are pleasant but the system is flawed. Updates to the computer and office flow fail to improve things. Virtually every step could be done online prior to coming in and the final step HD a 7 minute wait and 2 minute turnaround time. Sad they cannot harness the technology they already have to better the experience.

Pro Tip: If you’re waiting on your driving record, call (860)-263−5154.
The customer service line – if you can put up with what is clearly an attempt to get you to not wait on hold – will direct you here anyways. You will more than likely be put in touch with someone by the name of Barbara. Barbara is just doing her job but informed me that things «take a couple of weeks to process once received,» which is in contrast to the CT DMV’s customer service line which promises «at most a 15 business day turnaround.» I’m almost 30 days out from when I originally sent in this request. I intend to call the DMV everyday until I receive an update, as Barbara informed me that they do not even process driving record requests daily, and sometimes they don’t look at it for a few days (WTF?). I’m waiting to receive this record back from them and it has drastically impacted my quality of life. I can’t drive until I receive this record back. If anyone has a heart or soul at the CT DMV, it is my sincere hope that you read this and do your civic duty (ie. your JOB) and get your work done.

I wonder why this dmv even get a 1.5 star? It doesn’t deserve any, they will fail your road test over and over again purposely and each time they charge you a fee. Ok, that’s years ago, now I’m complaining they have a ridiculous insurance fine show on my website? And it’s difficult to get someone from insurance department to pick up the call except putting you on hold and they left as early as 4 pm??? As a state which sets the highest tax, where did the money go? Can’t wait to leave this place

A dungeon of a dmv. But on the plus side, it does have a little cafeteria. They also have a plate turn in counter that is totally different from the regular waiting line… so that is a plus.
New Britain DMV is the best in the state. Go to that one if you actually have to wait in line.

I have now been on hold 2 hours, 4 minutes and counting trying to reach someone in the Insurance Compliance Unit. They only resolve issues via mail or phone and not in person. This is RIDICULOUS. Not to mention that they have mistakenly suspended my vehicle registration and there is no efficient way to resolve it. After closing down DMV for some time to install new systems it seems like an EPIC FAIL. I’d rather get teeth pulled than have to deal with DMV in CT for anything.

This is a placeholder for a review I’ll never have time to write because the Connecticut DMV Insurance Compliance Unit has already wasted so much of it.
If you have a problem that can be resolved over the phone and have spent all the time on hold you can spend, just call the DMV Commissioner’s Office directly and explain your problem: (860) 263‑5015
The Insurance Compliance Unit only works over the phone, but their hold time is hours and hours. Several times over a period of two weeks I was on the phone for over 2−½ hours before finally having to hang up. Out of desperation I called the Commissioner’s Office and they actually had someone call me to resolve my issue and reinstate my registration. Ridiculous fines waived, so I’m okay with not being able to give them zero stars.
PS — the CT DMV is famous in other states for being a disaster. My insurance agent from the state I had my policy transferred from told me any time he hears about the CT DMV in professional newsletters, etc, it’s a worst case scenario discussion.

This is my second visit to the DMV. First visit was futile due to incompetent staff that provided incorrect information.
I have lived in four cities and 3 states before moving to Connecticut. For the smallest state I have ever lived in (and the most expensive in terms of taxes), this is the worst run DMV situation I have had the displeasure to deal with.
The website is extremely user unfriendly. Lines are out the door. Now, I am talking about the line to get to information where you get your queue number to then wait again for your number to be called. The bozos running the information desk are clowns who have no idea what is going on. The lines are absolutely ridiculous for a state with such a low population.
How is their guy running this s$$&show still with a job? Baffles me… people get out and vote against this ludicrous situation.
Look at the Nevada DMV for model of an extremely efficient DMV.
Really unbelievable. Epic fail in the 21^st century. Heads NEED to roll.
UPDATE: obtaining a new CT license by transferring a valid NV license with all my paperwork in perfect order and easy credit card transactions took three hours. As I mentioned above, can I say EPIC FAIL again?

Attendees are rude, very slow, and easy to upset. I went today (Saturday) to transfer my license from AZ to CT. I’ve been here 2.5 hours so far and I am far from done.
Disgusting and embarrassing for the state of CT to have such deficient and lame DMV.

You fail kids without getting on the road for a «road test». You failed them because the fog lights were not turning on or when you asked them to turn on the window washer then turn on the window washer along with the windshield wipers? You tell them they need to read the manual of the car they just came in??? What happens to the kids who use someone else’s car for the road test. If I took out the manual of the car that’s not yours and just pick to ask a question would you be able to answer the question I ask? You fail 3 kids prior to my me coming in for my test. Not one of us got on the road for a road test??? Does that not seem unrealistic. To also read reviews from weeks prior that the same exact scenario has happened and it all seems to be very suspicious. I will be escalating this.

SoooooOooOoooOoooo sloooooW today. Babies crying. Children running round. Tempers vocal. Squirming impatience. Something is definitely off here today. The slowest visit ever.

This place sucks. Always super packed lines out the door. Rude employees. Can never get anything done on time always takes more than it needs to. Sometimes they don’t even help you fix your problem. I seriously get anxiety coming to this place, that’s how much I hate it

I received a DMV vehicle renewal application and registration form, printed on 1÷20÷12 with a «no fee» due to the DM. The expiration date listed on that form was 3÷19÷2014. I was surprised by the no due fee but stupidly I didn’t make much of it.
Somewhere in early 2014 after receiving a second correspondence from the DMV stating a no fee due for a second time, I noticed under the sub-​code description field a wording which read ‘prisoner of war” (POW).
I quickly then contacted the DMV posted telephone # posted in the invoice/​statement to inform the CT DMV there was a mistake and I wasn’t either a veteran and much less a POW.
Shortly after in early March I received another renewal application in the amount of $ 209.60 which I paid via mail to the DMV in Wethersfield. I then thought everything was fine and my status was corrected.
To my surprise, I learned that was simply not the case. I showed up to the DMV Bridgeport CT branch on 7÷24÷2014. Locally, the personnel there were courteous and helpful but I found out right there my registration wasn’t fixed yet, furthermore showing an «expired» vehicle registration status.
The following day, thanks to one of the Bridgeport branch managers and Alicia, one of the window tellers. the whole ordeal got finally straightened out.
However, it took me two trips and a few hours out of my time to validate and mainstream my otherwise «current» registration because of some of the CT DMV headquarters personnel negligence.
That’s a clear example of mishandling public records. How this people get paid at the end of the day is beyond me! But again, our taxes perpetuate the incompetency of some CT central quarters DMV workers. They wouldn’t last very long in the private sector!

Going to the DMV is often akin to having a root canal; it’s long and often painful. I was lucky enough to go here three times!
There is a system for handling the crowds but it sometimes breaks down. My number was coming up next when all of the monitors turned blue. I heard my number announced over the PA, but a baby screamed and I didn’t know which window to go to. I ran to the front desk to see if someone there could tell me and I was directed to a window where license plates were handled. I was there to exchange my CA driver license for a CT license. I had to wait while the woman currently at the window went out to her car to get something before I could ask a question of a woman behind the window. 10 minutes later, I found out that I was at the wrong window.
I eventually got the right person and things went well and relatively quickly after that. The people who work there are pleasant enough, they just seem to treat the clients like cattle.

HELP… Im going to the DMV today, first stopping off to get a Large Bottle of Aspirin… hell that cant even be strong enough, after reading these reviews Im freaking out … I still havent gotten over my last trip to the DMV where I had to register my Husbands truck ugh… That was two years ago
Im not ready to face this place again.
First Trip:
sorry you have to come back…(thats after waiting 30 mins) The title wasnt signed properly… are you freaking kidding me,. okay fine ill come back,
Day 2 at Dmv
the usual 30 min wait,
Oh im sorry you have to come back again, what???
You need Both signatures on this title,.
I said are you sure you just dont want me to keep coming back
because You like to see my beautiful smiling face?
(I got to go to the same guy twice because he said I could cut to the front of the line once I got through the first 30 min line)…it was love…
He said if he won the lottery we would run off together.
you know what I think I would have a better chance of hittling the
lottery then getting through a DMV line within 1 Stop and 1 Hour.
Day 3
Oh boy ‚… I did it,… another 30 mins another Line
and out it only took
3 days about 6 hours and alot of Alcohol (after I got home of course!).
Now seriously why would anyone be traumatized over the DMV in
Wethersfield???@@#$%^&*()
Now… where are those Valiums …
PS Ill be back later to post my review
after todays little visit, Ill send you all a post card!!!

Doors lock at 4. 4:00. Doors lock, 4:00. Can’t get in. Can’t get out. Locked.
Forgot your wallet? Forgot your money? Forgot a piece of paper? Forgot your mom? Nope. Gotta pee? Hold it.
If you come near closing time (4:00 or otherwise)…it can get amusing. These security folks take their jobs seriously and those doors are glued shut.
Moving right along — the info desk is easy to find, the number system blasts with tremendous volume, and there are a lot of different stations to handle significant volume. The people are generally nice, organized, and happy to help.
Bring a book, bring some cash. (The food places are cash only.) Get ready to lean against a wall for an undetermined amount of time. Its a DMV, by those standards… its okay.

Is there anything nice to say about this place? Hmmmm… yeah F*%k A$$ Nah! This is a nightmare! I’m trying to determine what’s more annoying here the actual DMV, the nasal-​Ly woman in front of me, the dingy lighting and antiquated like war bunker feel, or maybe I’m confusing that with Walmart!?! Regardless, twenty minutes here in line and I haven’t moved 2 cm! Send back up, call the coast guard, little Wayne, Lady Gaga or someone!

We have pretty crazy standards for what passes as customer service. Over recent months I have spent a number of hours, on different days basically waiting. I was there on Saturday each time, it makes sense that it would be busy. That said, the DMV should consider this a «HOT ZONE» and schedule accordingly. Even if that means hiring some part time help. It typically took me around 30 minutes to reach the information counter where I was provided a number. The counter folks were usually helpful, to their credit. Unfortunately, once I received that number, the next wait could be a couple hours. (Seriously).
The good news is that when your number is announced, you will most likely be greeted by a very nice, tired, but helpful person. I observed people working through breaks, and going beyond what one would expect of a DMV employee. The staff is pretty good at the Wethersfield DMV. There are some things you can only get done here so you need to come to this location. If you want to see what you can accomplish at this and other DMV locations, go online. You could save yourself time. I notice that some sites are setting learner permit appointments online now… GREAT IDEA!
It is not healthy for the DMV staff to work in these conditions. I observed the general public randomly venting their aggravation on the first soft target they encountered. It unreasonable to expect the public to give up so much personal time simply to remain in compliance with our DMV regulations. It is even less reasonable to task DMV employees with having to deal with the perpetually annoyed public. We are paying LOTS of money to register and inspect vehicles. We are paying LOTS of money to keep our driver’s licenses up to date. I am certain one reason people drive unregistered, uninspected cars and without proper licenses is because it is so difficult to manage the process.
(The Public) are customers. (The DMV) Provide a service. The leadership of the DMV needs to figure out how to provide a customer experience at least as good as the worst retailer. Right now this is a toxic situation for both the public and the consumer population.
Special Note Ms. Currey, Commissioner Currey of the DMV —
I will offer my services FREE. I would assist you with planning and help you at least put a band-​aid on this situation. It does not have to cost much to repurpose existing staff. Implementing systems does not need to be costly. Email me if you wish. I mean it. I could help you boost the morale of your employees and improve your business processes.
The formula is so simple. It really is. I would not charge a cent, I would love would to help the people of Connecticut.
Byron — Sorry for the RANT

I would prefer to serve time in a maximum security prison than to visit this DMV location ever again. EVERYONE at this location is rude, short and basically an ass hole. I once needed to remove someone from my title, I asked the woman who gave out the ‘waiting’ tickets if I filled out the right form she didn’t even look at it and said ‘oh ya that’s it’, a two hour wait later I was told I filled out the wrong form and told to go to the back of the line.
Thanks a ton jerk store!