Me and my dad came in the morning once the DMV opened up to renew my drivers permit. The lines were moving fast for both appointment and non- appointments. The highlight was the lady working at counter number 9 (never got her name) was super sweet and attentive, also was the fastest getting through each customer! read more

Best DMV experience I have ever had. Was greeted at the door to confirm I had what I needed on hand. Ismael was outstanding and helped me swiftly. I will not be going to any other location except San Ysidro from here on out. read more

So incredibly rude to seniors. 0 patience for people who need a little bit more help, this is no longer about long wait times it's about being a decent being to others. And don't get me started on handicap accessibility read more

I was actually pleasantly surprised by this DMV! Ive been absolutely dreading going in to get stickers for my plates and a California license, putting it off and putting it off. I had heard great things about this DMV and figured id give it a chance on a Wednesday. First, let me say, the building is very nice, modern, well renovated... not run down like most DMV's. Upon arrival 20 minutes before opening, to my dismay, the line stretched around the courtyard. I begrudgingly got in line, put on some music and prepared to waste a day at the DMV. The doors opened and we were greeted by a fantastic gentleman directing us to lines based on our need. I was inside the building in 5 minutes. Once inside, the process was extremely streamlined. I was given a number, sat and waited for 20 minutes, then was called up! Got my plates then immediately strolled up to the front desk to proceed with my license. I never waited in line more than 10 minutes, everyone was very efficient. I was in and out in 2.5 hours while completing two tasks! Unheard of! I definitely recommend checking out this DMV, save yourself some headache and time! read more

The best DMV, friendly staff. I walked in without an appointment and it was a quick process.

Had to wait in line due to not being able to pay at the kiosk because I was not mailed renewal letter. Even after the negligence of not sending that notice thru the mail they tried to play it off to see if the address was correct which it was. They didn't apologize for the inconvenience and on top they made me pay a late fee. I have a newborn and this was not acceptable to wait on a Friday in a DMW with a baby. On situations like this representatives need to apologize and waive the late fee! read more

For those that are complaining and deducting stars due to the line: Did you make an appointment? If the answer is "no", it's your own damn fault. Everyone nowadays makes an appointment. Only reason why I didn't in this case was because I was still registered back in SD while I was up north doing my internship - hence I didn't know I had to visit the DMV in person until less than 2 weeks before my license was to expire. When I did make an appointment back in the day (forgot exact reason), it took me less than 20 minutes to get whatever I needed to get done. When I didn't (this time to get my license renewed), it took me a little less than 2 hours to be seen. Moral lesson: MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. Notes about this particular DMV - This was the place that I took both my written and driving test *way* back in the day (not gonna age myself). First time taking the test I had an older lady and was one point off from passing the first time. Second time was a younger male and I was several points from the cutoff. Hmm... - Ample parking and seating all times that I was there. - Semi-comfortable chairs. - Once my ticket was called, I experienced good service. The staff understand your plight and want to make your experience as painless as possible. CONS - Nobody knows how long it's gonna take once you're in the queue. Their ticker wasn't working and the guy at the counter processing all the requests wasn't able to tell me how long it would take to get through the queue. At least one should have right to know the waiting time. If restaurants can give an estimated time, so can the DMV. - 2-3 week wait to get the real license. You have a paper license in the interim, which isn't acceptable ID for bars. Passports, though a more "official" ID document than a license, are a lot more clunky and some bars don't accept passports as acceptable ID. SUGGESTION: PLEASE have free Wi-Fi. This will make the wait much more bearable for everyone. read more

DMV - This is the starting line - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - San Diego, California

Shannon at the front desk was rude as hell today, yesterday desk 22 lady wasn't very nice either. I appreciate people being here as we need to visit the dmv to get things in order and I'm sure they would much rather b at home but hey...b thankful u have a job. The lady who took my ID picture yesterday was so nice! Hence the 3 stars. And there are ladies helping outside checking people in, that's awesome too. EDIT: I had to come back and edit this review because they need fewer than three stars. I spoke to the first person and although on the window outside says that they take Apple Pay they do not. She told me she can't help me and that I would have to come back another time. I asked her to speak to a manager because I have been waiting for four hours already and she was just quick to send me away. The manager allowed me to go to the ATM and come back so that she can help me... Kool I came back and the manager was about to help me but then she sent me off to someone else instead. That person made a phone call so that I can get my tags, the transaction was not complete as I had to reinstate my license. After the guy Called some number to confirm that I had my insurance he sent me off to another person so that I can get my tags. After waiting for another number to be called to speak to that person she did not pay attention to the fact that my ID still needed to be paid and she sent me off to someone else. That person sent me back to her and she finally told me that I needed another form from my insurance. After Talking to four other people this is the first time someone even mentioned that form that I needed. I had to leave and get a form and she wanted me to come back at 1 PM so that she could help me but I don't understand how out of four people no one seen this information so that I could have done it beforehand. I was at the DMV the day prior and no one told me that day either. Why is this information not given to us so that we can make arrangements to get all the documents necessary? read more

This place is very convenient and easy to find. If you have other errands to do and need speedy service come her when it opens and your sure to get out quickly. read more

I was here to replace a lost Driver's License. A common practice for a night lifer, like me =( Damn, where are my keys?! Without having an appointment, this can honestly be my best experience ever with any type of state facility. Although I live in Chula Vista, it was recommended by many friends to go to this South County location. This office has been in operaration for about a year and a half . I can honestly say, "locally, it's a hidden gem for the South County." This Green/ Eco friendly establishment is beautiful on the outside and industrial contemporary on the inside with all the new age electronic systems to rival that of any new Department of Vehicles in the state. For obvious reasons, they run a very efficient operation accommodating for big crowds. This helps people get their business done as quickly as possible. I always recommend making an appoint prior to your visit to save time but if you don't... Don't fret, you'll get out fairly quickly (monitors will regulate est. wait times for you). read more

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Was in and out for a real ID within 20 mins! And I previously had a WA license. Fast and friendly. Clean. Thank you.

Well... It IS the DMV, I realize this. Not a great location, even with all of the expected DMV stereotyping- And they do exist here. I actually didn't go with the single star, due to the presence of relatively decent employees here, and an overall clean and newer facility. The overall experience, however, is an overall fail at this Otay Mesa location. You'll need to exit on Caliente to get to Business Center now; there is no longer a direct 905 exit. I damn near ended up in old Mexico as I whipped down the 905, looking for the old Business Center Court exit. Yeahhhh.... Not there. I had a 9:20 AM appointment here, but on a Monday- So I arrived at 9:00 sharp. The system to check in appointments is EXTREMELY poor here; It's a manual book check. I didn't even get a ticket until 9:40, and wasn't seen until 10:10 - 50 minutes past my appointment time. The line for regular check-ins was moving much quicker, as the result of Professor Check-In taking 2 or 3 minutes just to check off each person in the printed (!) log. What a joke- This actually ended up being the worst DMV experience I've ever had. Stick with the Clairemont or Normal Heights locations- This place stinks, and will waste your time like no other. Two stars for cleanliness, decent attitudes and plenty of parking, but the rest of it is a freak show. read more

DMV - You there! Are you G-436? - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - San Diego, California

When you book an appointment online, it's so much more efficient than waiting around for hours. read more

DMV - I just established a new record for a DMV visit! - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - San Diego, California

Nice place aesthetically, but the attitudes in the place are feo (ugly) . They weren't very helpful at all and tried to get me to pay unknown charges for registration I've already paid for. Very weird and uncomfortable to know. Security wouldn't let my mom inside cause she was 1 min late (not even to just wait for me, they made her wait for me in the cold outside) also this other woman was standing outside with my mom chatting it up with her while the lady waited to receive her phone back from the employees. She had accidentally left it at the counter before leaving. They told her she had to wait for her phone outside until someone brought it out for her (they estimated 30-60 mins!) I used to prefer this location but after todays visit I won't be back . Oh & there is no phone service at this location. Not even in parking lot. read more

To the woman at the Chula Vista DMV that gave me the heads up that the San Ysidro office is now open on Saturday: I owe you my first born. I had an appointment (the first available for 2 months) in Chula Vista this past Tuesday. Fun fact: you need your passport to apply for a DL nowadays (little did I know...). Suffice to say the usual DMV frustration skyrocketed to an inhuman level as I walked out with no license, a 25 minute drive back to work, and a completely wasted lunch hour. "Make another appointment" they said. Well, I had a "fix-it" ticket to clear off my record and needed this taken care of sooner than later. I went to make an appointment at a window in the back of the building, which is when my guardian angel told me about the San Ysidro office. I wasn't sure what to believe: Google said no, but this woman said but moves quickly because nobody knows it's open on Saturdays yet. I had to believe her. I was desperate. So I made the drive from Hillcrest to San Ysidro on Saturday morning at 10:30 as she suggested. I was second in the non-appointments line. They were taking appointments first, but I was 3rd on the wait list for non appointments. Now that I had all my documentation (perhaps too much?), it was a breeze through check in. I waited for less than 10 minutes for my number to be called. The first booth was quick and easy. Fortunately, I had all my paperwork, so she breezed through and got straight to the payment portion of the program. $25. Here ya go. Get me outta here. Next up: the written test. I waited in a very short line to have my photo taken (verdict still out on that one, but if it's anything like my last license photo, I imagine it will be the source of many hours of therapy), and then jumped right on the computer to register to vote and take the written test. Missed 3. Passed. Done. In and out the door in under an hour. Woah. Parking was *way* easier than Chula Vista, Clairmont and the Normal Street locations. Deducted one star because let's face facts people: this is the DMV. read more

I used to drive out of my way to come to this DMV to avoid the long lines at other DMV locations. But that's not the case anymore. I got here on a Thursday around 2:45pm and the line is just as long or longer than the Chula Vista DMV location. The line goes out the door and along the side of the building. This location is not worth the drive anymore. read more

DMV - Line out the door. - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - San Diego, California

Worst experience ever i its a hassle because of the covid but they were like 10 ppl for in person and only 4 for the kiosk when i was there its was before 4pm and they were putting everything inside i tried to ask some question because the kiosk didnt give me any paperwork for my car and they were rude! I dont recommend going to this dmv!!! read more

Came here without an appointment, but when I was standing in line, one of the clerks came over and announced that since the wait was over an hour they were offering to schedule appointments for the next day!! In other words, I could come back the next day without having to wait in the horrendous line! I jumped at the opportunity and I'm so glad I did. When I returned, I only had to wait a few minutes before my number was called. Overall, I think it took 20-30 minutes or so to pay and receive my new car registration. Not too bad! Parking: it's an open lot with ample parking, but depending when you come here, you might have to drive around a bit to find a parking spot. Location: DMV is adjacent to a small shopping strip with a couple eateries in case you want to grab some food to get comfy in line. read more

The appointment was very short once I arrived but I can say different for those who didn't have an appointment! I came about 15 minutes early to my appointment and was out in one hour.. They messed up on my name and I had already taken my picture so they had to retake it, sadly I liked my first picture a lot better than my second picture :( But I passed my permit test! One of the ladies seemed to have an attitude, when I went to the window, but the other staff was really nice! read more

As far as DMVs go.... this one isn't too bad. Clairemont is always crowded and Hillcrest one has a high amount of weirdos. This DMV didn't have any weirdos loitering, which makes me think I was the one weirdo. Anyway the building is new and kind of pretty like a library or elementary school. I got there at 9 on Thursday to get a replacement license and was done around 11:30. There is a line around the south side to have your temperature taken for covid, then the line splits for appointments and non-appointments. The non-appointment line took a really long time, and its on the North side of the building in the shade (take a coat if it is cool), no seats, so take something to drink, a snack, a book, a mask and your iphone. My hands were so cold by the time I got inside. It was about $38 for the license replacement. The counter people weren't overly friendly, but they were not rude either, just working. Once you're inside the wait goes quick and the interior is very spacious and nice. Its very clean, and new. read more

I have helped efficiently and patiently this morning with extensive paperwork. Thank you for your thoughtfulness and professionalism Alma and Linda -it is much appreciated. read more

There is no appointment available for at least a week and half, the line for no appointment is huge and only 2 people were working giving out tickets for what you needed. They were nice enough to ask if you are here for ID then your wait is not as long. Better system is definitely needed. read more

What I'm about to say may be extremely shocking to some. Heck, I'm shocked myself! Literally shook! Drove here after being told the DMV off Glover was 4-5 hour wait time. As I arrived I found parking right away. I usually park outside because the inside parking lot can get a bit ridiculous and people drive like maniacs. It's not a race track... Got in line and sat outside to fill out my paperwork, because we all know there isn't any cell phone service if you stay indoors and listen for your number to be called at this location. I waited a little over an hour (record timing in my book) and my number was called. I was greeted by a lovely lady dressed as a crazy cat lady. Yes, I went on Halloween day, which was a Tuesday. The lady was very helpful, did not have a rude and annoyed tone like most DMV employees and let me know my total was not as much as I thought. She wished me a good day and always had a smile one her face. I wish all DMV experiences were like this one! read more

I always have a wonderful experience whenever I go to DMV. This Particular location is wonderful! My son took his driving test today and the clerk, Anita, was extremely helpful. She made my experience so wonderful! They have such a hard job, working through a pandemic, they deserve to be treated kindly and with respect. read more

This DMV is a bit far yes but super fast. Never going to the National City DMV. It's all about otay mesa! I was a bit confused and nervous about registering my 2 cars it was a first for me and I most def had a great experience. Staff was quick and helpful and got 4 things done at once. Perfect! And there's plenty of places to eat nearby read more

Awesome Service at the DMV! The gentlemen at the Front desk was SOOO fast at getting everyone where they needed to get! I honestly feel like the DMV at this location is flexible... not sure if it's true or not but I feel the urge to state that ! read more

By far the best experience I have ever had at a DMV. I am retired military and have visited DMVs/BMVs around the country and the San Ysidro DMV has given me a tremendous new outlook on DMVs. The staff were professional and had a genuine concern for my needs and were COVID-19 conscientious. Tons of people at the door and they had phenomenal mitigating measures to maintain social distancing. I felt safe and comfortable. The line/crowd control was fluent, handled swiftly, and clear/concise on directions to get through the processes. if you witnessed the amount of people at the door, the crowd could've been a chaotic frenzy. My only recommendation to a patron is to make an appointment and if I had to say one clerk that stood out of all the other courteous staff members, Carmen would put the cherry on top of my visit to this DMV. Thank you and stay awesome. Reverently, Dennis read more

I live in east county but scheduled my DMV appointment with the San Ysidro location. Can I just say... this was LITERALLY the most pleasant DMV visit that I've ever attended. I cannot say enough. I had an appointment at 9 and went through the whole renewal process (payment, picture and test) in 45 minutes. EVERYONE who I came in contact with was nice, calm, congratulatory and funny. All I kept thinking was "wow, why haven't I always come to this location?!". Great job guys, I commend you for you're awesome attitudes! read more

This place is severely understaffed. Waited in vehicle verification line for over 2 and a half hours. When I got in line there was only 7 cars in front of me and the verification takes all of 5 minutes. From what I saw one worker would go to the driver test lane and give a test and then go back inside and eventually come back out to do a verification or just keep doing drivers test. No solid back and forth to keep both lines moving. Absolutely ridiculous! read more

I've never experienced anyone so rude as Shannon. After waiting 3 hours in line to change ownership of a recently purchased vehicle, I get Shannon in window 18. I'm not sure if this lady didn't get to to eat her BIG fat burrito or didn't get a good night sleep. As soon as I arrived to the window she is rude and asked what are we here for. I told her I recently purchased a car and need to process the new ownership paperwork and charges me around 450 dlls for a 3500 dollar car. I asked her if she can please breakdown the prices and starts to give me attitude and telling me well is for the for all the paperwork you submitted license fees, plates, new ownership and rolls her eyes at me. I immediately noticed she didn't want to help as soon as she started to give me an attitude like I'm forcing her to work there. I paid and she tells me I don't know if you'll make it on time for the car inspection because they close at 4:00. It was 3:40, so I knew I'll have time because Shannon was just going to the printer to get my documents. 5 minutes passed by and she's just standing in front of the printer daydreaming and then spends another 10 minutes talking to her colleagues. She noticed I was watching her and seemed to do it on purpose. She returns at 3:55 and gives me the documents. I then made the big mistake to ask her how can I get my misspelled address corrected on my drivers license. I told her I sent the change of address request via mail but was misspelled in their system. She immediately tells me you only told me that you're here to process new ownership paperwork and that I need to do the 3 hour line again. I told her I'm just asking a question and if you don't want to help me it's ok. I asked for her name and tells me Shannon and sends me to window 1 to get a form. I go to the window 1 and asked a mid 40's woman in a dress suit with dark black hair how can I get an address change because I sent it via mail and whoever enter it misspelled my street address and that Shannon was rude and unhelpful. This woman immediately says "I doubt we misspelled your street address and yes we are all rude." I knew she was in a bad mood too or hates working at the DMV. I told her apparently I don't know how to spell my street address Paseo instead of pacso and if she can just tell me what I needed to do. She then sends me to a computer and tells me to write the confirmation number on a sheet once I'm done completing the online form. I asked for a pen and she says I don't have one go check if there is any on the other stations and turns around. While I'm filling out the form, I heard a customer return to ask if her form was for the real ID. She immediately tells her I don't know what form you filled out. Can't you read! She then turns around. The customer just tells her I hope it is. She clearly knew what form she filled out because she gave it to her. These DMV employees should be grateful they have jobs. If they really hate dealing with people they should quit their DMV job. There are many other people who will gladly take your job. It's unbelievable we are paying a lot of taxes to have these type of people working at the Otay DMV like if they are doing us a favor. read more

DMV - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - San Diego, California

Everything was going smoothly until I was helped by the two Hispanic ladies at window #1 for the expedited check-in process. This is regarding Monday, January 28th at around 8 am. One lady had a bob cut and the other had glasses. They were extremely rude and lacked basic communication skills. Instead of being polite, they cut me off every time I tried to speak. First they handed me a sheet and told me to go fill it out somewhere else because they had to help people. First of all, there was literally nobody behind me. I was a little confused as to where to go after filling out the sheet, so I asked their worker who was standing right next to them and she told me to jump back in line and go back to the ladies if I finished filling the paper out. I did as I was told and got nothing but attitude thrown at me. After going back and forth with the lady and them realizing that they were the ones at FAULT, one of them jumps in and says "point is" and then says nothing at all. Maybe you should have stayed quiet the entire time to actually listen to what I had to say. Giving an extra star because the wait wasn't crazy long. read more

The best thing about this place is that the facility is updated and clean. But don't come here expecting customer service or quick lines even though it's in the middle of nowhere. I arrived at their opening time at 8 am with an appointment and still had to wait in line for 35 mins when there were only 3 ppl ahead of me. Some of the employees sit on a high horse and have such unpleasant attitudes as well when speaking with you! Also, couldn't even get reception in this area, unless you have really good cell reception don't count on being able to do stuff on your phone while you wait around. Surprisingly I've had a better dmv experience at the Chula Vista location, won't be coming back to this location again. read more

I cannot believe what I am about to say but I had the BEST experience EVER at the San Ysidro DMV!!! It's a newer building so everything is really clean including the bathrooms!! As soon as you walk inside you distinctly notice a difference because there's MUSIC playing and the employees are actually SMILING!! We had an appointment for my daughter to take her written drivers test and let me tell you making an appointment is the ONLY way to go to the DMV!! The service was speedy, done with a smilez and it felt like the person behind the counter actually cared!! I definitely will come back to this location for all my DMV needs!! read more

It's official. I'm a Californian! After almost 3 years living here I finally got around to getting a CA drivers license. I couldn't have asked for a better situation to get the job done. After reading reviews of how awesome this DMV location was, I concluded that a trip to San Ysidro was imminent. A few choice words could describe how long it took me to do the deed. Lickity split. Quick. Fast. In a hurry. Rapidly. Not slow. Rapido. In n out. Whatever words of these are in your vocab any will paint the picture of what to expect. I've waited longer for fast food orders than I did to get this new license. It did help that Mexico was playing a World Cup and 95% of customers of this place are Mexican, but either way they seem to breeze through lines here. The staff was surprisingly pleasant. My previous experience with DMV employees was about as charming as a trip to the mens room with Ben Roethlisberger, but these folks didn't in the least bit seem like they wanted to kill themselves or anyone else in the room. They must put something in the water. The test was pretty hard, because it's worded really funny, but that's more a knock on the governator than this location. Luckily for me I was able to peep back at the study guide and change an answer so I passed the written test on the first go around. Even if the attendant would have seen me she was nice enough that I think she would have turned a blind eye. Final tally was about 45 minutes from start to finish at this spot, which from feedback about other DMV's seems pretty impressive. It's only about 20 minutes drive from most places in San Diego so if you're looking to avoid a bit of the headache I'd highly recommend runnin' for the border, and I don't mean Taco Bell. read more

"You boys like MEX-EE-CO?" Sorry, Super Troopers, anyway. The San Ysidro DMV wins at life. I seriously hesitate even writing this review because I don't want all ya'll coming here and spoiling the sweet, sweet lack of lines, ample parking and mildly friendly employees (I probably wouldn't be very friendly if I had to deal with people like me). This DMV is the hidden promised land. The drive is worth your sanity - believe that. It's clean, easy to navigate and seriously, I've never been here longer than 30 minutes and I've never had an appointment! How is that even possible?? I hear there's good Mexican food across the parking lot. YES! read more

Holy crap, this is the best DMV ever! I work down the 905 and I had no idea there was a DMV here. The "field office" is quite efficient. I arrived at 9:30, stood in line for about 5 minutes and needed to get some registration done for my car... I've been putting it off. another 10 minutes later I was talking with a lady at the counter. She told me she couldn't do it again, but she'd extend my registration for another month, but handed me a 2 month thing instead. I can't believe I was in and out of the DMV in 15 minutes without an appointment!!! Please no one read this review because I'm going to go here from now on. read more

Holy shit balls. This place makes me want to get a violate some motor vehicle code so I could see how fast I can get in and out of this DMV. There are so many counters, it's in a big warehouse/airplane hanger type looking place, and its a new facility. I'm glad I live in the vicinity of this DMV because I would have been stupid to go to any other one. I always dreaded going to DMV offices because I have these preconceived notions of waiting 2-3 hours to even talk to someone at the counter. I lost my license and needed to get a new one mailed to me. I was in there at 9 and out there by 9:30. Whaat? Yeah. Believe it. No need to explain myself here. read more

The children were everywhere, and they were screaming. I just spent three hours being battered by a cacophonous riot of human misery and corpulence, alleviated only slightly by the kind and generous nature of one (out of three) women who I interacted with in the process of getting a CA license. I arrived at this office at 11am on a Wednesday. Approximately 175 folks ahead of me, including both the preliminary line and the seated folks who already had their tix. I suppose I could have gone and had lunch and returned, but then I'd have been in fear of missing my call and wasting my day. So, I waited, clutching my passport and DD-214 and my NV license and my completed license application and voter registration...all complete and in order and ready to frickin go. I had a book (The Windup Girl), and earbuds for my Droid (Pandora tuned to my Good Shoes station), so I did not want for distractions. Unfortunately, other distractions clamored for my attention. Fully 85% of the people who crammed themselves into this joint were full-blown obese, and sitting in a chair meant having someone's flesh roll pressed hotly against me. My expression remained neutral, not a hint of revulsion or even distaste. Because I'm a nice guy. And then there were the children. Oh my god the children. There seemed to be three armies of them, or perhaps merely three warring factions. If they had warlords or generals, I did not see. They certainly did not have parents. They were marauding packs, dozens strong, tsunami-ing back and forth across the already crowded floors, their cries and shrieks and ferocious bellows of need need need creating not a single echo, as every last vibration and wave was absorbed by the eardrums of of the browbeaten adults who could only sit there, helpless and abused. I would give this DMV 4 stars, if they let me kill the children. But as it stands, it is perfectly ordinary...crowded, slow, apathetic...a necessary inconvenience for a new resident, which I hope to repeat at no time in the near future. (Side note: what the HELL is up with everyone failing the written test? That is baloney, kids. Yeah, you know who you are. There were like ten of you in front of me, all total failures, all dejected and weepy and complainy because the test was so much harder than those online samples...Jesus BALLS, you guys suck. Pay attention to life for like eight minutes, and that test becomes about as easy and significant as "graduating" from fifth grade. Seriously, you are worthless. The Tribes of Incoherent Brats who apparently live at this DMV will likely never contribute anything useful to any society known to the outer world, and yet I would wager that, given five minutes and a piece of candy, I could coax one of them into passing that test. It is frickin unanimous...you're a jerk.) (Second side note: Above the preliminary line, the one you wait in before you start actually waiting, they have a scrolling marquee which gives you some information about wait times at this DMV, as well as the ones in Chula Vista and San Diego. According to this font of benevolent wisdom, the wait times were significantly less in both Chula Vista and San Diego. I just drove down here from San Diego. Dammit.) read more

Don't believe the hype - if this place is not hell, it is definitely purgatory. Despite getting to the office at 8 am, my visit lasted an amazing 3 hours and 15 minutes. I have registered vehicles in the Mass RMV and the Connecticut DMV, two legendary bureaucratic wastelands, but never have I seen inefficiency and delay on the scale of the CA DMV. Despite having all my paperwork in order, it still took an entire morning and over $300 to escape. And before anyone snarks up to say that I should have made an appointment, consider the fact that I DID try to make an appointment, but since there was a two-month backlog, I couldn't get one within the required time period for transferring a registration. So there :) Anyway, here's my story... After reading all the glowing reviews for this DMV, I decided to give it a shot. I needed to register my out of state vehicle, so I double-checked all my paperwork the night before, got up nice and early on a Tuesday, and drove the 25 minutes from downtown to make sure I arrived by 8 am. Wait #1: Upon entering the building, I wait in line about 15 minutes to get a number. So far so good. DMV Interaction #1: The man at the counter is a bit abrupt, but he checks my forms and tells me where I need to fill in additional information. He doesn't tell me what to do next, however, so I ask him if I should take a seat. He concurs. Wait #2: As I take a seat and wait for my number to be called, I notice that the current number is B02. As I'm number B030, I realize things are not looking good. I also notice that there are several other groups of numbers, prefixed by letters, such as C, D, and H. Uh-oh. DMV Interaction #2: After roughly 45 minutes, my number is called and I head up to the counter. The lady is nice enough, and takes all my paperwork and begins typing. After what feels like an eternity (but is actually 10 minutes), she looks up andn tells me that I just need to go outside and have my car inspected. She tells me that, once the inspection is complete, I can bypass the initial line and return to her window. I look at the line which is now grown out the door, and I thank her profusely. I am optimistic that my time at the DMV may be drawing to a close. Wait #3: I head out the door, jump in my car, and head around the building. There are four cars ahead of me in the inspection lane. At first I take this as a positive sign, but then I notice that all the other drivers have turned off their cars and are standing around the outside of the building. Hmmm.... perhaps my optimism is premature... I wait. After thirty minutes passes, one car exits. The inspection woman looks briefly at the door of the next car, then heads inside the building. 20 more minutes pass. I get out of my car and head up to the door where the woman disappeared. The occupants of the front car are sitting outside waiting for the woman to return. I ask if anyone knows what's going on, but nobody seems to know. So we all wait some more. Finally, after another 15 minutes, the woman returns, jots down a few more lines of information and waves the car on. The line moves slowly forward, and the next two cars take an additional 20-30 minutes each. DMV Interaction #3: Finally, my car is next, and the woman comes out, checks the odometer and the VIN, writes a few lines in a ledger and tells me that I'm all set. Literally, less than 2 minutes have passed for my inspection. I glimpse at the open road ahead of me and taste freedom, but I know it's never that easy. I ask what to do next. The woman tells me that I need to go back in the building and get back in line. I stammer, "But, the lady inside told me to go back to her station." She replies, "Ok, you can try it, but she won't remember you." I drive back around the front of the building with the taste of despair thick in my mouth. Wait #4: As I walk up to the building, I see that the line now stretches through the door and down the sidewalk. There's no way I can bear to get back in that line. Instead I make my way to my old station, where the DMV lady is helping another customer. I stand back and wait patiently. 10 more minutes pass. DMV Interaction #4: Finally, the other customer moves away, and my DMV lady looks up and says "Welcome back". I nearly cry from relief. After another 5 minutes or so, she sends me off to another counter to pick up my plates. I feel the faint glimmer of hope start in my chest. I may yet escape the DMV. Wait #5: The shortest wait by far, I'm up to the counter in a miraculous 5 minutes. DMV Interaction #5: I hand the woman my information, she hands me my plates, and I walk out. FREEDOM! Until next year of course... read more

Granted this DMV location happens to be waaaay down South where San Diego and Mexico blur. The lines move pretty quickly and the parking is a breeze however that is where the warm fuzzies end. The ticket girl (wearing a horrible wig) that you must check in with upon entering is VERY rude. She was very disrespectful towards my father. The customer service here is incredibly rude. My father asked a question and was told that he was being difficult. I stepped in and told her to watch the way that she speaks to my father. He had a simple question which required a simple answer. He did not hear his number called and he didn't see it on the screen. He was bounced around between windows before he finally asked the girl up front. Big mistake. Maybe if I had handed her a chocolate bar to curb her PMS things would have gone smoother. Or perhaps she is just a mean bitter person. Whatever the case approach with caution. This location could use some costumer training lessons. Granted your near the border and sure you may have some difficult people. I encountered a few odd balls while I was here. I kid you not there was a gentleman that kept talking to himself and uttering swear words. He would periodically look around as if her was being followed. In a nutshell come here for the quick in and out service but don't expect to be treated with any respect. read more