Going to the DMV is never fun. Still, there are ways to save time and make the experience slightly more enjoyable than living Dante’s Inferno.
- Make sure you actually have to visit. California drivers can auto renew their licenses online or via mail.
- Use any perk you’ve got. AAA members can register cars, pick up a disabled placard, replace lost plates and transfer an out-of- state-vehicle at their local AAA office.
- If an in-person visit is required, make an appointment. Slots fill up fast, and the walk-in line can feel longer than the one for Space Mountain. An appointment is your fast-pass.
- A car city like L.A. has a perk—plenty of DMV locations to choose from. If you can manage a trip to the Westside, the Santa Monica location is considered the city’s best. It has the highest DMV Yelp rating in the city (four stars!), a spacious free parking lot and beautiful outdoor murals.
- If you’re not going to Santa Monica, monitor the DMV’s estimated wait times online to see when each location is fastest. As a rule, try to avoid making the trip after 3 p.m., when school and work begin to let out. Once those post-car pool Priuses hit the parking lot, you’re toast.
- If you need to take a test, study ahead of time to avoid a return trip. The DMV has practice tests and the driver’s handbook online for free.
- Don’t be the schmuck who brings a credit card to the DMV— it only accepts debit cards and cash.
- Find out what paperwork you need ahead of time, and bring everything with you. You will get turned away if a single page is missing, and then you’ll have to go back. Get the checklist of what you’ll need here.
- Make your experience more pleasant by finding a nearby place to get a great snack. Tacos Punta Cabres is only a couple blocks from the Santa Monica DMV, and the Culver City location is right by Samosa House and Bharat Bazaar. The Hollywood DMV’s nearby neighbor Grub is perfect for post-visit comfort food, and there is always elote from the Corn Man after a trip to the Lincoln Heights office.
- Sell your car, and never look back. You’re free now. Free.
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