SAN DIEGO (KGTV) - Long wait times have always been a problem at the DMV, the way to avoid that was to make an appointment online to skip the long lines.
For people needing to renew their license like Debby Herscovitz, they had to plans months in advance, “I went online, booked an appointment, but I had no idea it was going to be in March”.
Herscovitz got a notification from the DMV in the mail to renew her license back in December and immediately tried to make an appointment. She tells us the first available time slot was at the end of March, “I absolutely had no idea it was going to take that long”.
A DMV representative tells 10News, drivers are trying to avoid the hours long line at the DMV by making an appointment online. Because so many people are scheduling appointments, the appointments are filling up faster than ever before.
For Herscovitz, her appointment would have taken a total of 15 minutes to get her Real ID, however she didn’t have all the necessary documents. The DMV tells 10News to help people adjust to the new requirements and be prepared for their appointments they have a video people can watch before they make the trip in.
Despite having to plan months in advance, the DMV says it’s still the best idea to schedule an appointment online before heading to a nearby office.
Tips to keep in mind that could help with the scheduling process: don’t rule out nearby offices because some might not be as busy as others. Also, continue to check back online to see if any cancellations were made.
Here in San Diego, there are also a few offices with extended hours and that are open on Saturdays. The Chula Vista DMV opens an hour earlier on certain days of the week. Poway, San Marcos, Chula Vista and Clairemont have Saturday appointments available.
