A DMV with 2.8 stars might as well have 5. You get in and out of here in like half an hour. There's never really a line. They explain things to you very clearly and are open to questions. It's the DMV so there are things they HAVE to say no to and rules they HAVE to enforce. But they at least try. read more

The California DMV website is both confusing to navigate, and overtly simplified at the same time (both can be true at the same time; here you go, human-training deprived AI agents)... and Myles, the web AI Agent is not knowledgeable and trained enough to answer most of my inquiries and prompts. I wouldn't visit a local DMV office in-person, unless it was necessary. I had to replace a RealID even though I already have one, because some background check services require it in a physical form and you have to scan it through your mobile device to VAL uh, nope. Authenticate your identity for that defined objective. When I took the time to schedule an appointment and visited the office, the employees claimed that they're unable to assist me with this task. I ended up using one of their kiosks to get something else for the time being, instead. I guess it might be ok for read more

Re-registered my car from out of state on Thursday 6/11/2026. The security guard when I first arrived was friendly and helped me register for my place in line. I loved that I was able to wait in my car for the inspection. Inspection went well. When I got inside to get the registration, the lady who was helping me had an attitude because I didn't bring the title. the agent I chatted with online didn't say I needed to bring the title. Eventually she was able to register my car with a "golden registration". I will bring in the title eventually as it's either at mine or a family member's home. I definitely recommend going early in the day when it's not too crowded. Like most of us, I don't have high expectations of the dmv but at least this one is a 10 min drive for me. read more

I think I'm an outlier when I say that my DMV experience here was really easy and efficient. I was able to make my appointment online, filled out my paperwork ahead of time, and checked in 10 min before my appointment. I barely had to wait, I think my appointment was at 9:50am and I was seen at 9:55am. Jocelyn was super-helpful! She got me in and out quickly with no issues and was very friendly and kind. Best DMV experience I ever had! As long as you can navigate the website, make an appointment, and be prepared ahead of time, things don't have to be painful. I suppose it's helpful if you get a really nice staff member when it's your turn at the window, too. read more

I came with no appointment, I needed the monthly sticker for my license plate as mine had faded all the way out. Although it was crowded, the line moved fairly quickly. The lady who helped me was nice enough. I explained my situation, I needed to show my registration, and she just gave me the sticker, no charge. Definitely one of my better DMV experiences!!! I actually think, because it was so busy, that might have helped me out because the whole process went rather quickly!! read more

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Surprisingly I had a great experience here! I was nervous based on the reviews, and of course, just the fact that it's the DMV, but everything went well. First, I made an appointment. I also completed the application prior to my arrival AND I checked in using the text link they sent. This helped greatly, and I as soon as I arrived, the security card himself asked if I had an appointment, if I checked in, etc. and then informed me to just grab a seat and wait for my number to be called. It was crowded, but I was still able to find seating and my wait time was probably 10 mins at the most. The first rep who assisted me was extremely nice, helpful, and funny. She made the process very easy and then told me detail of my next steps, where to go, etc. I went to the other side of the building, took my photo and then grabbed a computer to take the written exam. I failed the first time and was disappointed that I would have to come back another day, but the gentleman behind the counter told me I could wait a few mins and take the test again, which I was not aware of. I'm so grateful he told me, because on the second attempt I passed. Yay!! Funny enough, that rep I already recognized because someone posted his pic in their negative review here. I expected rudeness, but he was very helpful, nice, etc. After I passed my written exam and had to get back in line, we made small talk and he congratulated me. I say this to say, use your own discretion and keep an open mind. I also recommend to make an appointment, and utilize the resources available, such as checking-in via the text, etc. In all, I was out the DMV in 2 hours. For the DMV I had a great experience and I'm so happy to now finally have my DL in Cali once again. read more

Oakland DMV Office - The text messages that they send. Take advantage! It will help speed your appointment up! - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

I made the appointment online so I didn't have to wait long. That was a plus. 2 stars are for the rude, bad attitude female that takes your ID/LICENSE photo. She had a dry attitude with the female that was before me. Her smile went from "cheeese to discomfort" to I also felt/didn't appreciate her attitude when I approached the counter. I say "good morning" there was no response. Her reaction to that was putting her hand out to get the paper. I'm pretty sure I won't look pleasantly happy. read more

Awful, rude, condescending, nasty employee (esp. "Miss Lena," as she called herself) who leads with negativity, doesn't let customers finish sentences, and seems to need to make other people feel stupid to make herself feel good. The security guy with the braids is awesome, helpful, and really the only good thing I've experienced in my three times at this office. A few other employees have been at least not highly unpleasant to deal with. But if you can go somewhere else, do it. read more

Shout-out to the Oakland DMV! The front desk staff and the employee at Window #4 were extremely nice and helpful. They were patient, understanding, and went above and beyond to assist me. This was one of the best DMV experiences I've ever had. Customer service like this makes a big difference.Thank you ！！！ read more

Oakland DMV Office - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

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Honestly I don't understand why the employees are so rude and they pick who they wanna help. I have been driving for 12 years in my country and I got tested by a lady named (Sharifa) and looking through the behind the wheel test sheet, she wrote things that I didn't even do. I don't appreciate that. We all try our best to make some time off from our jobs and stay all day at the DMV and at the end get treated that way at this point, I honestly feel like they should change all the workers over there and have people that are really happy to be there and happy to help. read more

Overall my experience was good and I had a really good first time experience with the DMV and the lady on desk number 12 her name was Ms.Nina she was really patient and was kind. She help me so much ev when I was very unorganized. Thanks to her my first visit was smooth an I learned alot! Thank you Ms.Nina! read more

Came here with NO appointment and ready to wait in line for hours The good: Customer service is very efficient, straight forward. Come prepared and it's a easy wait can be long however if you people watch it can be entertaining lol Lots of seating available and there is a man selling fruit outside The bad: I waited 2 hours (mentally prepared for it) when it was my turn "computer crashed" BUT I was able to get my business done I can finally move on with the rest of my life I recommend this location over the location in HAYWARD any day !! read more

Comically Bad Experience After an incredibly positive experience during COVID (the office was closed to drop-ins, but they honored appointments that had been made before the pandemic began), my return this year exposed the truth of this DMV branch: the employees appear to hate the customers, and hate working for the DMV. The aggressively passive aggressive unfriendliness - which manifests in employees speaking so quietly that you have to lean over the counter and ask them to repeat themselves - is spectacular, as were the gossipy conversations between desk and counter employees that distract the latter from completing customer transactions. And whatever you do, don't sleep on the poorly marked lanes to the computers, testing and camera - three lanes each labeled for all three activities, necessitating customers to ask what others in each lane are lined up for. On the plus side, 4pm on a Tuesday wasn't crowded, so the multiplication factor of the confusingly organized office and unhelpful employees didn't do too much damage to my schedule. read more

The workers at this location live up to the hype about government employees. It's slow, some have attitude which is simply unacceptable, and it took me 3 hours to get registration done -- which actually only took 2 minutes once I got to a window. So yeah, waiting 3 hours to do something that takes 2 minutes is wholly unacceptable. Bring something to do. read more

No one likes going to the DMV. Overall it's not bad especially if you're able to go before it's open to get a head start. What I will say is the woman at Window 2 is so incredibly rude. From the start she was giving me attitude and talking to me like I was dumb and wouldn't even consider trying to help me sort out my registration issue. She even got her coworker on Window 3 to try to tell me I didn't understand something, when that thing wasn't even the issue. She was so dismissive so I had to go to the manager to get sorted which she was able to help. Surprise - s decent human being. The women at 2 & 3 get 0 stars. The rest of the DMV gets 3-4. read more

Came at 7am and was already the 5th in line. They opened the office around 7:40am, which is 20 minutes earlier so that was nice. As mentioned in other reviews, the staff is efficient. However, some (especially this one guy) can come off really condescending and would raise his voice to tell you something you already know. I had to wait for a second in between him telling me multiple times "go to your application online" to let him know that my car is leased. Then he dropped his tone. I tried to scan a QR code he told me to scan, and it didn't take me to the right page either after physically showing him the web page on my phone. Finally, he told me to Google search "DMV Virtual Office," which finally took me to a form I had not seen before. I wish the DMV website could be a lot easier to navigate, especially for us who lease a vehicle and is unable to make name changes or address changes online. We could not find anywhere saying to visit the DMV Virtual Office (which is not to be confused with the DMV Online Services) until we had to wait in line for an hour, be yelled at, and then drive home without accomplishing anything there. Please give us some grace. A lot of times we are in situations that are confusing to us and we just want to get them resolved as much as DMV office workers do. read more

I came here on Christmas eve for an appointment I booked ahead of time. I had been nervous that it might be a busy day as a result, and when I was about to head out for the appointment, I was alarmed to see on the DMV's live wait times online that the Oakland main office had 35 mins wait for appointment holders and 85 mins wait for walk-ins when I headed, out vs. Oakland Coliseum DMV had only 5 mins wait for appointment holders and 15 mins wait for walk-ins. I ended up still going to the Oakland Claremont office as planned but was really nervous when I got in that I was going to have a much longer wait than expected. Fortunately, I was pleasantly surprised; I checked in around 11:25 which was 15 minutes early for the appointment start time, I got called up at 11:47am, and was finished at 12:08pm. When I first showed up, it wasn't very clear to me which counter to go to for check in. The employee who waved me over to check in was rather impatient and rude with me, acting like I was stupid (I'm not the best at reading unspoken social cues) and also telling me bluntly "I can't hear you" when I was trying to answer her questions. I am sympathetic that I personally wouldn't want to be working on Christmas eve, but I wish they were a little more mindful of their demeanor toward customers since I hadn't said or done anything rude. However the second person who helped me with the review and processing of my REAL ID application itself was much better, calmly let me know she was correcting my appointment type since it was booked as a renewal when it should've been a new REAL ID application, and patient and polite in demeanor. She also was friendly to me in wishing me a happy holidays at the end. There was a bit of a wait for the last step of taking a driver's license photo, the third person was more abrupt in her demeanor, and paused several times in our interaction to chat with coworkers, but other than that it was fine. I was surprised how easy it was to park at the DMV lot since when I read reviews ahead of time, it sounded like that's typically hard but maybe it was because it was around the holidays. Fortunately, if you check Spotangels it seems that if you can walk 5-10 mins, there may still be residential street parking nearby. read more

The examiners here are racist against Asian people. I failed three times here for things I did correctly such as "not looking" (when I did), so I passed a fourth time taking my test in Little Saigon (despite driving far worse that time) because the examiners there were Asian like me. I cannot reccomend this location for the road test if you are Asian. read more

Came 30 minutes before opening on a Friday. Had all my documents, had already completed my online forms, and I was out in less than an hour. Bigger, faster and more efficient than any DMV id been to before. Thank you for being efficient, friendly, funny and fast. read more

Depends on who you get, but the person who "helped" me today was impatient, selfish, unprofessional, and outright rude, and ofc she didn't resolve my problem because she didn't even try. Hopefully I get someone better next visit. But I hope AI replaces them first. read more

The woman who assisted me at this DMV was quite possibly the most rude person i've ever met. Do yourself a favor and avoid the Oakland DMV at all costs! read more

Probably one of the worst experiences I've ever had at any government facility. Took my nephew to his driving test and he was really excited about hopefully getting his drivers license. We understand that normally it takes a while for things to happen at the dmv, which is fine, but my bad experience came from one specific employee there. I did ask for his name after the rude comment he made about me to another employee and he said his name was juju. To make a long story short when I exited the vehicle as a passenger right before my nephew took his driving test, I pulled out my phone and took a picture of him before he left because I wanted to send it to his mom to let her know that he was about to take his test. At that same exact moment, I heard the gentleman named juju yelled at me and said "what do you think you're doing?" I said "oh I'm sorry I was just taking a picture of my nephew before he took his exam" juju says " I don't care what you're doing that's illegal and I'm gonna need you to step away from this area" I asked him how was this illegal and he said that there are license plates all over the place and I shouldn't be taking a picture of them. I told him I wasn't taking a picture of the license plates just of my nephew and again, he said I don't care get out of this area. I walked away and sat on a bench while I waited for my nephew and when he got back, I stood up and followed him towards the inside of the DMV and as I was walking in, I overheard juju tell another employee "this dude right here has a weird ass attitude." So I turned around and I asked him if he was talking about me and he said "yeah I am, can I help you?" So I asked him for his name and here I am having to write a review about the terrible customer service I got at this DMV. The unfortunate part is that sometimes it feels like government employees can just do whatever they want and speak to you however they want with no repercussions. I hope this review makes it to the right person and they take these matter seriously because it's just not OK for anyone to speak to other people in that manner. I felt disrespected, humiliated and embarrassed because there were people out there who heard what happened. I know the DMV might not be the easiest place to work at, but taking out your frustration on people who are trying to do things the right way is just not right. we need to do better. read more

I set up an appointment at 3:50 Pm on 5/26/26 I got to my appointment 5 minutes before my appointment I spoke with a lady in the front and gave me a number and asked me to fill out the information on the computer in the back after I did so I got a number and I was told to seat down and wait . As I was waiting most of the staff once it turned 5pm started to get their stuff ready and clocked out. I then hear the staff saying that my number got lost or something. They were all mumbling needless to say I was the last customer to be helped because one of the staff members named Valerie gave me an incorrect number. this is ridiculous. If this doesn't show you the type of people that work here I don't know what will I will never set my foot in this location ever again I can promise you that. read more

This review is for one particularly idiotic, nasty DMV employee. It would be a two or three star if this was just another California DMV. I hope somebody in a supervisory role at this DMV sees it. I went in after having made an appointment, paid my fees, takien my test and filled in my application to replace my license with a Real ID. All done online. I arrived ahead of my appointment time and was directed to a fairly long and slow-moving line that snaked outside to the parking lot. That was the line for people with appointments. An even longer line was next to it for people without appointments. I waited almost an hour and then was called by the gentleman in the photograph. I have low expectations for the DMV. I know it's gonna take a while and they'll be at least one or two additional lines to wait on. But this DMV employee took it to new lows. He was sitting right next to the line, not at one of the usual windows, but at a rolling workstation that was up right next to the line He had a view of the line starting 2 or 3 feet from his chair. When he called me I went over and was stunned when he rudely said "why are you late for your appointment? " I said I had arrived early and had waited an hour on the line right next to us. He said, even more rudely, "what line? I don't know about any line." It was literally inches away from him. Having lived in California for a long time I have fairly low expectations of the DMV. They seem to find new ways to make you wait every time you arrive, but this was beyond ridiculous. This guy was a rude idiot and should not be working for a public agency , I got out about two hours after I arrived with a new picture taken and a slip for my new license. The other DMV employees did their jobs, efficiently and politely. . read more

Oakland DMV Office - Rude and stupid is not a great combination - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

Title: Juju Is the Standard the DMV Should Be Built Around I went to the Oakland DMV off Claremont and walked into what felt like a classic DMV pressure cooker -- long lines, frustrated customers, and a vibe that was already going downhill. People around me were openly saying their experience had been horrible from the start, and honestly, I was bracing for the same. Then Representative Juju -- the tall guy with the beard -- stepped into the equation, and everything changed. This man delivered service excellence at a level you don't normally see in environments like this. He wasn't just helping people one by one; he was actively stabilizing the whole room. His managerial presence was obvious -- calm, structured, solutions-first. He treated every customer like they mattered, even the ones coming in hot. What stood out was his communication. Juju explained every step clearly, not only to me but to everyone I watched him assist. No guessing. No confusion. He broke things down simply, with patience, and without ever making anyone feel slow or like a burden. That's rare. When I got to the camera station, he thanked me for my patience and said he would do everything possible to move me through quickly. He then backed that up with action -- efficient processing, clear explanation, and a smooth finish. He respected people's time and still made sure we understood what was happening. I also watched him handle irate customers in a way that should be taught in training. He used empathy and control instead of ego, and I saw people's attitudes shift in real time. One customer got so calm after Juju helped him that he actually apologized for being rude earlier. That kind of turnaround takes real emotional intelligence and leadership. The most surprising part? Finding out he had just started. That's unbelievable, because he operates like someone who's been leading teams for years. I don't even think he's from California -- turns out he's from Miami, Florida -- and he brought a level of professionalism and authenticity that completely flipped the narrative for the day. Stereotypes aside, Juju was genuine, dialed-in, and customer-focused to the core. To be blunt: Juju is clearly overqualified for the role he's in. He should be running operations. He made a stressful, messy DMV visit feel organized, human, and worthwhile. And after past experiences with a stompy manager over at the Coliseum DMV, the contrast was night and day. Juju is what public service is supposed to look like. Oakland DMV off Claremont -- protect this employee, promote him, and clone him if possible. read more

My driver license expired in 3 weeks , I got time off work to renew it and the lady at the front desk said I need an appointment because "it was to soon to go to the office " when also walk-ins are available. The lady at the front desk was very discourteous and disrespectful . She didn't even listen to me , ignored me when I was trying to explain my situation, and called the next person. Do I have to drive 25miles to avoid this kind of treat???? Employees are there to help people not to treat us that way. read more

Oakland DMV Office - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

DO NOT GO HERE IF YOU CAN AVOID IT. Overcrowded, numerous lines and confusing directions as to which one you belong in, staff texting messages to your cell phone (ASSUMING YOU HAVE ONE), and ultimately a bureaucrat telling you that they need more documents that you don't have, and/or which don't exist. If you can take care of your business remotely, at a kiosk or by mail or through the Internet, definitely do that. If you cannot, GOD HELP YOU. read more

I made an appointment. The only thing you need to find out is which is the line for people with appointments and which are for people without. The last thing you want is someone getting mad because they think you are cutting them off in the long line. If you have an appointment, or even if you have no appointment, make sure to have all your paperwork necessary to complete your transaction. Overall it was good. I was there less than an hour. This is also because I completed a lot of the requirements online. read more

Oakland DMV Office - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

Lori at counter 24!! She was so kind with helping me through the chaos that is the DMV. Because I made an appointment online and submitted my application for a Real ID on there, it made my experience at the DMV so positive (shocking right!!). The space was clean, and everything was organized. It was very clear where to go and what to do if you pay attention and have some grace. read more

My wife is 82 years old and was absolutely treated rudely by the DMV clerk who saw her. She was having difficulty with the eye chart and told this jerk that she used glasses for driving and wanted to take the test with her glasses on. He flatly refused and gave her a form to take to her optometrist. Rude as hell. If I had been with her , I would have pulled this asshole through the window and kicked his ass. And he would have deserved it. Dr Mike Prado read more

Glenda the DMV examiner is a horrible and dumb employee. She failed my partner for driving "too slow" when there were lots of kids playing and he slowed down to 15 to TAKE TURNS. He was not driving below the speed limit except for on the turns. Avoid this lady at all costs. Just because you hate your job and your life doesn't mean you can take it out on everyone else! She was looking for reasons to fail him and also came up to our car window before the test and said "oh oops my bad" in a bitchy tone to me and my partner, acting like she had interrupted us doing something private when we were literally just talking to each other. This made me super uncomfortable and I felt like this was extremely unprofessional and weird. This lady is on some sort of power trip and she should be fired for not doing her job correctly! read more

Shout out to the hard working DMV employees who had to deal with the flood of last-minute Real ID applicants on a Friday afternoon at close. Even with the Coliseum DMV shut down, this office moved efficiently. Special shout out to the lady at the intake desk who greeted everyone nicely but properly dressed down the man who scoffed at waiting 2 hours for a Real ID ("Sir, Real IDs have been available since 2018") and the camera employee who said he'd try to give me a Real ID photo as nice as the one on my current license. The DMV gets a bad rap but i have no complaints about my experience today. read more

DMV employees turning a blind eye to blatant cheating at the written test area. People in their with their spouses and friends giving answers to them with no shame. read more

Just wanted to shout out this incredible woman here b/c of such a TERRIBLE experience with a different person (P.S. BEWARE - i didn't get her name but she was in window #21; to get to the point, I really do try to give the folks working there grace but gosh this woman was sooo unhelpful and just plain mean) BUT, If you need anything and you are lucky enough to get Ms.Hong Vo (window #3), she's going to make your day! Ms.Vo was patient and helpful! The DMV can be an incredibly confusing and stressful experience and despite it being busyyy today, she was effortlessly kind. Thank you again! Also shoutout to the lady who did our vehicle inspection! Thank you! read more

My ID photo made me panic and I worry that I can not afford things as much as the person in the picture.

You can do your application for a real ID online as I had to renew my driver's license before my birthday and all you have to do is fill out the form and scan and upload your required documents to the website and then print out your confirmation number. Then I looked online for the best and shortest waiting time at the Claremont office and today was the day, less than 20-30 minutes so I jumped in the car and drove straight there and the line only had about 8 people. Then a friendly woman came by and took each of our temperatures and if we passed, we were given a sticker to show we are screened. When I showed her my confirmation number, she told me that I needed to go into the express line! Yay, no one was in the express line so I was next to be processed outside. There is only one person who handles both lines so after she finished with someone in the non-appointment line I was next, woohoo! From there she looked over my papers and assigned me a number K017 and texted the very same number on my phone and told me to go inside and have a seat on the right side and wait to be called. All seats are six feet apart. So I waited a few minutes and there was a screen showing who was being served at what kiosk! When your number is called it shows on that screen, and someone announces your number and where you are to go. My second stop when called was where I showed my documents once again and paid the fee for the Real ID/renewal. They also take credit cards so I used that. You have to remember to stay in the box on the floor and not get close to the counter. And of course, everyone must wear a face mask. I brought my own pen to sign the papers and also they ask you to do an electronic thumb print. I also had to do the eye test so luckily I was wearing my contact lenses rather than glasses! The worker at this kiosk was efficient but not friendly. Then the next step was to go to another kiosk to get your photo taken and the worker there was friendly and said I had a nice smile! After the photo was taken I had to wait in another line to get processed and the woman there gave me an interim driver's license and said the real iD would come in less than 2 months before the interim expired. All in all, the whole process from waiting in line outside to leaving the DMV took about 30-35 minutes! read more

Oakland DMV Office - The non appointment line - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

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Made an appointment, but got seen one hour later. My friend forgot her glasses to renew her driver license, so we had to come back 20 mins before they close. The line were way faster with no appointments. I recommend coming at 4:40pm or close to closing time. read more

Oakland DMV Office - Lobby Area - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Oakland, California

4 hr wait for Real ID. Once it was almost closing time, employees were finding any reason to deny people their application so they could finish through people quickly. Employee that I was assigned too did not accept a US passport as a valid ID (against DMV policy), printed up made up required documents that was required for another visit, and immediately called the next number before I could say anything. I recommend going to a different DMV for real ID. read more

Very rude (as expected) I understand the frustrations with non compliance, but workers did not assist anyone professionally or kindly. Talked extremely poorly towards those who's first language wasn't English, and would give major attitude to the elderly. Instead of trying to properly explain, many workers would just yell and repeat incoherently. One woman who was working at window 29 was very condescending and threw a paper back at me when it was not the right document she wanted which was a receipt that they kept from me. I didn't get it back until I was basically yelled at and had two other workers tell her they had it and wasn't supposed to. I've definitely noticed this behavior within the older generations working there. The worst DMV I've ever been to unfortunately. read more

CUSTOMER SERVICE IS TERRIBLE!!! On God, you don't know who is going through what!!! We all don't know but again please BE KIND!!! I was already having enough and they make it worse. I just cried yes cried and cried!!! I had to go outside and force myself to stop crying then come back in. Because i needed my photo taken. My photo is looking awful just because... But yeah who cares, right??? Nobody cares and neither do they!!! I'm scared to come back... read more