Wow, 5 stars? Well, yes, as good as it gets for the DMV and let's face it, we're stuck with this baby as long as you live in this state where everyone wants to drive and no one wants to take public transit. I've been to more DMV offices than I care to remember (but if you're counting, at least 7 or 8), and this is BY FAR the best one I've visited, and is outstripped in experience only by the time I lived in the same apartment complex as a very nice man who happened to be a branch manager at the Culver City DMV and would take my paperwork in for me and deliver the needed items to my front door. Not sure that was legal, but it was pretty sweet. Since that plum situation no longer exists, the Fullerton DMV is the next best thing, practically a picnic on the beach compared to the other locations I've been to. For a relaxing, spa-like visit to the DMV, first things first: don't even bother to go without an appointment. I'm old enough to remember the days before they had an appointment system (cue old fogey music and creaking bones) and this overhaul is one of those lifechanging things that young people nowadays just don't appreciate ;) If you don't make an appointment and have to wait in a 3-hour line, IT'S YOUR OWN FAULT! Sure,sometimes the appointments are booked way in advance and you don't have much choice...but I've found the booking times here are far shorter than at other locales. If you have an appt. you can skip the "Start Here" line (which I always forget, so I wait in line until I see the sign that says, if you have an appointment go straight to Window X...so I did wait a few minutes today in a line unnecessarily, but that was my own fault for not looking past "Start here"...always read the signs at the DMV, always!) I was about 30 minutes early for my appt. and the nice lady at the first window gave me my form, explained it clearly and cheerfully told me, your # is about to come up so fill it out as fast as you can!" When's the last time you heard that at the DMV, huh? Sure enough, my number came up in about 3 minutes, I went to the next window where a friendly gal typed me in her computer, printed out my receipt and paperwork and waved me off with a friendly, "Have a great weekend!" I was out of there in 15 minutes, 10 minutes BEFORE my scheduled appointment time. The people on either side of me looked extremely angry and unhappy - I bet they didn't have an appt. and had waited on those awful chairs for 3 hours. I can't believe I just wrote a review of the DMV. Just proves my theory that writing Yelp reviews is my preferred method of procrastination. Anyway, I'll say it again: MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! read more

Did not have an appointment, and the whole process went very fast! Everyone I spoke to was very nice! Especially Sandra! She took very good care of me and was super bubbly and friendly! Great experience!! read more

I was expecting a very long wait and unpleasant employees like all other DMV branches I've been to so far. However, I was in and out only after one and a half hours for two registrations and an address change. The employee that helped me (Red) was also very pleasant and answered all my questions. read more

Key word is GET OUT I almost never use yelp but it was that bad! Dont take the driving test here. The examiners are people who shouldnt even be driving!!! Based on personal experience and bad reviews in the past. During my driving test I felt like I did pretty well. However after the test, my examiner accused me of driving to slow! She said in the Residential I drove around 10-15 miles when I should be at 25. I knew that, but I told her I slowed tf down because their was intersections, from my understanding AND THE DMV HANDBOOK that we must slow down and look both ways at the intersection. Then she showed me the dmv test sheet and said " The test sheet just says to look both ways at intersections and it doesnt say you have to slow down". WHATT!! So you telling me we keep the speed of 25 mph at intersections then wtf is the point of looking both ways gonna hit the dam car that violates rules anyways. DEFENSIVE DRIVING....... She shouldnt even be driving for God's sake! So that ended up wasting my time and getting me a critical on the test :( read more

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! I know that sometimes you need to drop in and take care of an issue the same day, but without an appointment, the wait time in the line that snakes out the door and past the far end of the building could well be 1 1/2 hours or more just to get through the door. (Although, I've got to say that it feels weirdly like crossing a picket line walking past all the poor souls waiting in line. You just bypass and go up to a table on the right just outside the door, your name and time is listed on a printout, and in you go!) I had an appointment yesterday for license renewal and the system used to call people to the numbered windows by initials and numbers was totally down. Very disorganized for a short while until a woman named Michelle came out to the seated waiting area and systematically asked each person the purpose of their visit and directed us to a window as soon as a previous customer was finished. She certainly rescued my morning and I was done in about an hour and a half. I hope the glitch was fixed before too long. The employees I had contact with were businesslike and efficient. read more

I needed to renew my drivers license so I went down to my local DMV in Norco. The line was out the door so I waited to get my ticket. Once I made my way through the line and got my ticket the lady asked me what I was here for. I told her to renew my drivers license. She then told me to take a seat and wait till my number was called. So I waited an hour and 45 minutes then my number was called I proceeded to the window where they could help me and the lady asked me what I could help you with. I told her what I was trying to accomplish and she told me then that I needed to go back and wait in line and retrieve the paperwork that needed to be filled out in order to get my license and that I would need to get another number. Me being the non-argumentative person that I am I cooperated and waited another two hours to get my license done. There are a few steps that could've been taken in order to save me time to save the DMV time and to save a few people a headache and they were not met. There is a communication issue at the department of motor vehicles that needs to be addressed I hope this review helps read more

have a 2:45 appointment to get called till 3:42. got called to widow 22 when I get there someone is already there i ask the fat overpaid state Employee they just called my number what's the deal? just wait until I'm done with them then why did you call my fucking number. so i decided to shut up before she fucked up my shit read more

This place is horrible. First I learned they no longer take walk in's. On the DMV website it did not mention it, also when you call in they give no info. Then I learned they will not answer any questions at the front unless you have an appt. Wow, really? And they are rude as hell!!! It seriously smells in here, that hasn't changed in years. My advice, make an apt elsewhere. The Santa Ana office is better along with the Westminster office. The people still have attitude but it is less for sure and the offices don't smell nearly as bad. read more

Horrible experience. To the lady on window number 21 for the driving test. God sees all and you are a horrible person when it comes to customer service. read more

Honestly one of the biggest wastes of time. If you have an appointment and all of your paper work to take the behind-the-wheel test, then you will not have to wait in line INSIDE the DMV. But, you will have to wait in a long line of cars that are also taking the test. Once you wait an hour or two, you finally get up and an examiner does the pre-test check for signals, brakes, etc. I felt pretty confident starting my test, until I saw my instructor. She had a terrible attitude from the beginning, she practically sounded like a robot. She simply took no consideration in anything. I would love to warn you who she was, but she never even introduced herself. Anyway, so I finish my test which was really simple, only to discover that she had failed me for "driving too slow" which was false. I was going maybe only 3 mph under the speed limit, so she marked me down in the critical error section. What?! Overall, I had only missed 7 out of the 15 you are allowed to miss!!! And 4 of those were that she said I was too slow! She also laughed & criticized me afterwards. Please watch out for rude instructors at this DMV, and good luck. read more

I went to this office to take my CDL test and the only things I got was a terrible headache, 1 pm appointment and the guy that give me the test want it my insurance for the rental van, I told him that it was insured true my insurance and he said that that was not the way he works, send me back to get a new appointment after I have been waiting for a month and half, so I was not going to give up that easy so I talk to the supervisor and she was willing to check the rule, of corse they said no!! I called my insurance and have them send me a note that will include the van that I just rent it for the test, well she let me take the test, at this point the tree people that tested me already have their mind made up to make sure I was going out of there with no license, they said they would not be able to let me test that day because they are to buisy, they have tested only 3 people in 2 hoers that I was there, and that is were our money goes thanks to the DMV hiring lazy ass people that have an attitude and we pay them, well I got to my test with a different person, as soon as she sees me she lay down the law and how is going to work, she basically tell me to start giving her the run down on a pre check on the test NO INDICATION on what I was supposed to tell her just a free will on what ever I want it to tell her, I went out of my way on checking everything that was practical and important on a free check with no question ask, I told her more that she need it to know on any pre check and believe me I have been doing per check and post check for the last 2 years with a 15 pass Mercedes Van, so she tells me that I only got a score of 21 out of 41, BS I can already tell that no matter what I was going to do I wold not have pass, on my way out I stop and look at them as they commenting the situation and that pissed me off even more because that lazy ass dude was giggling and happy that I did not pass, the problem is that we pay this people for bossing us around with an attitude, I have seen people that do not even speak english, Cambodian, Vietnamese, chinise and they give then the license, in this day I spend 175 $ for rent the van I lost & 200 for not going to work and a big headache and ate the DMV even more, total $ 400 dollar for nothing, and on top of all this they want someone that already have the CDL license to come with you so add another problem to find someone to take a day off from their work, DMV is the worst gov office out there, read more

This was my second experience at this DMV, the first was applying for a learner's permit and this time was to take the behind the wheel for my license. First off I have to say that this DMV despite all the rumors, is a pretty decent place. It's organized, clean and you can be in and out for minor processes. Now, let's get to the fun part. Most of the rumors of Fullerton being the most difficult DMV to earn a driver's license at are open to interpretation and have a few truths in my opinion. The wait is long (i'm giving the benefit of the doubt that all DMVs are like this), and getting an instructor is like finding a needle in a hay stack. My story begins with a tiny Asian/Hispanic lady that apparently has a reputation at Fullerton. She seemed polite and nice at first glance and for the most part was. It appeared that the vehicle in front of me did not qualify for the test, and I ended up with her. She checked all of my hardware on the car, and gave the OK and got in. She greeted me with a kind, "Good Morning", and I returned the gesture. We began the preliminary procedures of locating all of the vehicles switches and what not and once completed, we were off. All seemed smooth and there was a sudden sigh of relief as I assumed that I had beaten the stereotype of the DMV cruelty on teenage drivers, oh how wrong I was... We began going through local communities slow and steady with little fret until I came to an unusual intersection with two streets, and a crosswalk right between them. I was perplexed at this because I had never seen such an intersection in all of my previous training. I pulled up behind the crosswalk and waited for the light to turn red, all of the while wondering if I was supposed to be waiting for a light in the middle of a cross street. Nothing was said that it might be dangerous so I went on my way. We completed our drive without any other incidents and I felt as if I had done spectacular! WRONG!! We pull into the parking lot of the DMV to conclude the test, and there are two men walking in the middle of the road, I slowly trail behind, assuming that they'd notice and get to the side of the road. They eventually did and I came to a park. My instructor then took around 15 minutes explaining that I should have gone around these men. WHO THE HELL CARES!!! Then she went on to nit pick every little thing that I did (and didn't) do wrong. She repeatedly said that I stopped in over the stop sign line even though that had been one of my most concerning concentrations, and I was sure I hadn't. I repeated to tell her that her my car has a sort of illusion of going farther than it appears, and that I always stopped in the correct location. But she kept with her criticisms even as all the other students were getting out of their cars screaming to high heaven that they passed. Finally after 25 minutes of straight criticism, she informed me that I had passed. I was relieved but left her with a bit of frustration. My advice, don't choose Fullerton for your Drive test. Most of the rumors are true, concerning the strictness of the drive test. read more

I personally had to make a yelp account because I really wanted to write a review to help you guys out. This dmv runs okay...very busy and long waits. There is other people walking around trying to get things going which is good. Being at the dmv shouldn't be the funnest place to be at!!! One thing I would like from my time here is professionalism!!!! When taking my drivers test these people look miserable and extremely rude does not help your nerves at all. I got to get this lady named Lilian who was extremely rude and unpleasant. When doing my drivers test she wasn't paying attention and marking down randomly which maid me question how can you go that when you're just looking at yourself in the mirror that you pulled down! Not to mention she was clicking random buttons on my car with her pen??? They way she directed me maid things very difficult describing streets as corners rather then by street names which caused me to make mistakes (not my fault) Unfortunately she failed me but I had a good talk with the manger who couldn't do much about it but he was very nice! This lady just made my time here hell! I pray that you guys don't get her! read more

Almost a 5 star! Had it had better signs displayed....it would have been a fiver. Most people who dislike the DMV have a fair argument based on how one is treated; but others complain about anything and everything. I made an appointment one week ahead of time, appointment schedule was pretty flexible (had a few times & days to choose from) The day of, I showed up about 15 minutes before my scheduled time, I was waiting in line for about 10 minutes. Once I was helped at the desk, I again waited for about another 10 minutes. The fellow who assisted me was curt at first, but once I showed him I was pleased with the swiftness thus far, he began to open up and created a short dialog which was nice to have at the DMV (makes you feel special). I performed a quick and easy eye exam, paid my dues and went on to another line for picture. Lady at picture counter had me there for about 5 minutes and boom, picture taken; she even asked me if I liked the photo. Wow, that was nice of her. So, all and all, it took me less than 30 minutes for a Drivers Lic renewal ! Considering the reality of the State & County, it was an above average & fair service. read more

I had a huge problem registering my Commercial vehicle. Well the first trip to this DMV they said , can't complete your registration because the title is in a different state, they couldn't provide me the state because there data base was limited and wasn't reflecting. I came back 2 more times and I kept on getting different answers. Finally I thought i was going to get my problem resolved when speaking to Supervisor in on window #4 she said she couldn't help but to call an RDP # so they can locate title. I called but they said that they don't do that and they had to hung up on me because they couldn't help me. All these people working in the Fullerton office are LAZY and not very smart. They won't go the extra mile for you, they will express their opinions that have no solutions and you will feel you wasted your time to get no where. My friend advised me to drive to NORCO DMV, within a few hours I got everything resolved! They took the time to call DMV Sacramento and were able to finally get my commercial truck registered! The department of motor vehicles should give an outstanding award for NORCO DMV ! They are nice , professional and go above and beyond! read more

Waited and waited - typical for DMV. Finally got called and when I was just about ready to get my photo taken --- my card declined. The lady was in a hurry and told me she had to leave by noon (10 min to 12pm by this point). She said I would have to go stand at window 4 for help. While standing there with no assistance --- I called my bank who assured me my card was fine and that there must have been something wrong with their machine. The bank rep recommended they manually input my card info. Nobody showed up at window 4 so I went back to the same lady and she was obviously annoyed. She swiped it again - declined. I asked her to manually input my info and she said that she could not. Was not sure if this is true (seems weird she can't manually input via computer) or if she just wanted me out of her way. Regardless, I wasted hours there. Would have been nice if they would have made other recommendations such as ATMs nearby - without needing to wait another 2 hours to be seen again. read more

Even though I had an appointment already scheduled it didn't seem to make a difference as I wasn't able to take care of what I needed to do which was very frustrating. The place was over packed as usual and the guy who checks people in for their appointments told me I needed a document which was missing for my appointment. This was to my surprise, and I insisted that he was mistaken since I had actually called the DMV beforehand to confirm with another rep what documents I actually needed (just to be on the safe side). Little did I know that I was given wrong information over the phone, even after being on hold for over 2+ hours the phone, and to make matters worse that rep was rude too. A bit of advice, if you can avoid coming to this location to avoid potential problems you're better off going to another location. I can only hope the customer service is a little better at another less crowded location, as apparently that doesn't seem to exist here. Instead you might find yourself dealing with someone who is dismissive and says there is nothing they can do for you even when you have an appointment. read more