If you go online and make an appointment before you go, this is the fastest DMV I've ever been too…read more In and out 10 minutes for a renewal, I've never seen that before. People working here are friendly and helpful if you have questions. If you don't make an appointment the line still seems to move along pretty quick. Really though I would strongly recommend making an appointment online it was surprisingly fast. They need to check you in with the machine to the left of the lobby facing the information desk, the security should point you toward it.

If I could give this place a zero star I would. This place is a joke. You go in there and the…read moreworkers completely treat you like crap for no reason. Just pretty much the fact that they hate their jobs. I clearly only go here when I need to and every time it never fails where I'll end up with the old miserable guy there in the front information center. This time I got him and another woman that will not even let you ask questions. The problem was my mother had to be there in order for me to register my car cause right now it's under hers. So the woman told Me "your mom has to be here because we can't share her info to you." I absolutely understand that, but I had more questions to ask that doesn't have to deal with my mother and her information. That woman whom I should have asked for her name, cut me off and talked over me. Wouldn't answer my questions not even for example: was there any other documents that I had to bring to get my car registered? Lol! I should have known it was going to be a shitty time there when I said "excuse me to her and asked for a pen" she just threw it at me like How dare I disturbed her talking to her coworker. Maybe they should work at the county building on the 1st floor and then maybe they'll realized their job isn't so bad. This is coming from a social worker who works at the county building by the way.

These are the friendliest, happiest people I've met at a DMV. You do have to get all your stuff…read morescanned for weapons before going in here. Maybe this is normal for NY state? The NY State DMV system overall is a dystopian nightmare, red tape that will financially strangle you. I could go on and on about that, but we're just talking about this office, so. They decorate their cubicles and often have nameplates with disney character on them. Hey, look. Y'all work at the DMV. Any drop of joy you can find to drink out of life? Go for it. I found that I was seen pretty quickly, which was nice. My registration and new plates cost me $104, which they said was normal. $79 for the registration. They didn't really explain to me, when I first came here to register my out of state salvage title, that I would have to come back again to register after getting a salvage inspection- I thought the $205 I paid for that was everything, but it was not. Eventually I went back to them, and was able to get my plates and registration at once, since I had a NY State salvage title. Yay! They didn't mention that I had to get an inspection as well, something you do before you get your registration, in California, and maybe that's the case here when the car isn't newly registered for the first time? I did find a little piece of paper that mentioned I had a 10 day "grace period" to get an inspection. A different inspection from the salvage title inspection, which I guess couldn't have also inspected my tires and stuff while they were there. Because NY State. Anyway, glad I caught that, because nobody told me I had to do it! Still listing this as "good" because I didn't spend 6 hours waiting with hundreds of people wetly coughing and reeking of dirty diapers and unwashed bodies while my will to live was slowly leached away. So, there's that.

Friendly, fast and efficient. I was in and out in no time; even taking into account the 18 forms of…read moreID that NY requires you to have to get a license.

Not a bad DMV. Was able to make an appointment online. As soon as I checked in, the called me…read moreminutes later. Lots of stations and many people there but moved quickly. I was out on 30 minutes. Definitely need more parking, but other than that pretty efficient.

Is it actually possible to have a good experience at a DMV? Maybe hard to believe, but yes, or at…read moreleast it was for me. This office is very well set up, with multiple windows open, including a reception area that adds a second person when the line backs up. The woman who processed my request could not have been more friendly and helpful; it was a pleasure to work with and converse with her. Visiting here was one of my last chores for my recent move. I put it off as long as possible, not expecting it to go well. I should have come here first!!!

Got there at 2:50 for my 3PM appointment, didn't get called up until 3:30 just for the lady at the…read moredesk to look me dead in the eyes and tell me that the transferrable registration I was given and the bill of sale wasn't enough to register the car I just bought out of state EVEN THOUGH ITS LISTED ON THE SITE AS ACCEPTABLE PROOFS. The manager saunters over and then just parrots her. Unbelievably poor service and a waste of time dealing with these people.

Went there last year, got my car registered without much trouble. Had a title question, wasted time…read moreon their useless phone trap only to be told by a machine they aren't going to help. Went there in person got met by 2 guards that said their majesties are not taking walk ins. Then they close at 4:00. What a sham of laziness!

It's been just over two years since my last visit here and my return was for the same purpose as my…read morelast visit. I was surrendering plates in order to have the car removed from my insurance. I believe there have been some procedural improvements since my last visit. You now sign-in on an electronic notepad with your name and then select from the categories listed, the purpose of your visit. Surrender Plates was clearly displayed as a choice which I selected. I was then instructed to take a seat and watch one of the progress screens mounted on the walls and wait for my name to be displayed. I had arrived at 2 pm and noted on the display screen that there were about twenty people ahead of me. I can now attest to the fact that the seats are comfortable. There were between four and six of the ten clerical windows open during the time I waited. Each time a clerk became available a series of tones played, and a waiting customer's name was displayed on the progress screen with instructions to proceed to the appropriately numbered clerical window. And how long did I wait? Twenty minutes. I paid the required $1 fee for surrender of plates and left with my receipts after a total of twenty-three minutes. The clerk I did business with was pleasant. Overall experience, still 5 stars!

I needed a non-drivers ID. I held onto an old invalid ID for the past 8 years as proof of identity,…read morebut I need to find a new apartment in the new year and my old ID wouldn't cut it anymore (for that and other reasons). First, the good thing is that I didn't have to wait too long being it's Christmas Eve.. but the process of getting a non-drivers REAL ID didn't turn out to be anything like I expected. :( I did extensive research before I visited to ensure I had all my documentation. I even had to get a certified birth certificate since when I visited about two weeks earlier, they told me that my copy wasn't good enough. A couple of weeks prior to that, I mistakenly forgot my documentation, so this was my third visit. Within about 15 minutes or so, I was called. I presented everything needed according to the NY DMV website and was told I was short by one point. :( Then I was asked for my old ID. I thought that would help with the identification process and presented it. I was told it was expired (that's why I was there, and I clearly indicated on my application that I had an expired ID!) THE REP GAVE ME BACK MY OLD ID, and then asked if I had a credit card. He said it would satisfy the last point. I gave him my debit card and that satisfied all criteria. I got my (UGLY) picture taken and then met him back at his window. He told me everything was just about done, but then asked for my ID again. I gave it to him and he told me that I had to surrender it. SURRENDER IT?!?!?!? I was shook! WHY??? It's 8 years expired with my 28 year old face on it! I explained that I got a driver's license but wound up never driving due to anxiety and poor vision, and used it for identity purposes. He was intrigued and understanding, but told me it was part of their protocol. I asked him what they do with the old licenses and he said they SHRED them! I said if you're just going to shred them why can't I keep it? He spoke to a fellow Rep and she came over and said they take your license and staple it to your paperwork! (I question how true that is since my old license was INVALID by many years, so what's the point of THEIR keeping it, especially since it didn't satisfy proof of identity, ANYWAY??) Then she said that if I'm caught with an old license and a new one, it's a $10,000 fine! Make it make sense! I saw in Reddit that not every DMV takes away your license. They'll just punch a hole in it and give it back to you, or tell you to destroy it, yourself. And we're talking about UNEXPIRED licenses that are being upgraded or replaced, for some reason. In contrast, my old license has long been invalid and I had a photo on it that was nearly 33 years old!!! WHY is keeping my old license so important to me? Well, that's a pretty personal matter, but the short answer is for nostalgic reasons... so it hurts me SO much to have to give it up, only to know that they're just going to destroy it. :( As an aside, I want to say that I didn't mean to give the Rep that serviced me a hard time. :( I just couldn't understand, first, why I didn't INITIALLY meet the 6 point criteria when the NYS DMV says otherwise, and two, WHY surrending an 8 year EXPIRED/INVALID driver's license administered almost 33 years ago with my 28 year old face on it HAD TO HAPPEN. :'( The 4 stars this place would have gotten was ruined (for me) by this very thing. It's NOT fair, and I HATE their stupid "protocol". :(

Thank you so much! I was impressed by the staff of this New York State DMV Office. Patty and all…read morethe others were very helpful, kind, and knowledgeable. We owe a great deal to state and federal workers and I am grateful for their service. My experience today demonstrated the efficiency of the process, and the helping spirit of the workers there. Keep up the good work, Westvale DMV. :) PostScript: I am not in California and cannot figure out why my profile indicates such. I am from Central New York, Onondaga County.

This is easily the best DMV I've ever been to including those in California, Pennsylvania and…read moreTexas They do let you make appointments however I walked in. They asked what I was there for- mine was out of state transfer of license and registration, which I thought would take several hours. They gave me the forms. They quickly called me up, helped fill out my forms. There was a lot of documents I needed to have - which I did, and in less than an hour, I was out of there , with my temporary license, new plates and registration - thank you to Patti and the other people who were great.

I dread going to the DMV! Going to this office was so easy and seamless. Our transaction was picked…read moreup from where we had a glitch. They told us what to do didn't have to wait in other lines. Got new picture, got eye test and was issued temporary license right on the spot. The fastest and easiest experience ever. Thank you all so much.

My visit to this DMV was surprisingly quick, friendly, and pain-free. It's easy to complain about…read morebureaucracy but these are people and they treated me like a person. In upstate NY that means with a dash of humor and candor. So rather than bitch about parking and paperwork, I thought I'd just be honest.

Very bad place to go to anymore. The lady couldn't understand a birth certificate from out of…read morestate. She said your name isn't on it! Lol I said look on the bottom. Very rude people there.

Easy in, easy out. Friendly, helpful staff. Super visit to…read morerenew my license. Thank you!

I live in NJ & received a letter stating my license Cannot not be renewed & to call 518 486-9786…read more Cannot speak to a live person at this # since my NJ license # comes up incorrect & the call gets rejected.

I made a reservation but it still took some time, at least 45 min. On a good note the DMV employee…read morewas exceptional her name is Miss Fonte Albany DMV is lucky to have her