Most people find a trip to the DMV office to be an unpleasant hassle. Getting to the office and finding it closed or seeing a long line of people waiting adds to the frustration. Checking on DMV hours before making a visit to a field office is easy, and worth the effort, and making an appointment in advance can save you hours of waiting.
DMV offices around the country are also making it easier for customers to take care of vehicle paperwork and drivers license renewals by having online access to many services. Some locations also now have DMV kiosks inside DMV offices where customers use a touchscreen monitor to quickly and safely renew drivers licenses, report a change of address, pay fines, and access many other DMV services without waiting in line at the DMV office.
Finding the Hours for Your Local DMV Office
While DMV offices generally operate on standard business hours, opening between 7 and 9 AM and closing about 5 PM, each office sets its own hours and days of operation and availability of services, such as driver road tests and vehicle inspections. Many offices have a day during the week when hours are shortened, and DMV offices sometimes close for staff training and other administrative purposes.
Many DMV offices are now open on Saturdays, although weekend hours may be restricted. DMV offices also close on major holidays such as Christmas, New Year’s Day, July Fourth, and other dates. Check directly with your local DMV office for dates and times of operation and availability of services, such as driver road tests and vehicle inspections.
Depending on what you need at DMV, you may be able to use the services at another DMV location if the one closest to you is closed or cannot accommodate you. DMV also has separate service centers for vehicle inspections, investigations, auto dealers, and commercial customers. These service centers can be located through the state DMV website, and they do not provide basic drivers license renewal or other services for individual drivers.
The best way of finding out when a specific DMV field office opens or closes is by contacting the office directly. You can call on the phone or look this information up online by searching with the term ‘DMV hours’ plus your location.
Online DMV Services
Many DMV services are now available over the Internet. This includes:
• Paying traffic fines
• Renewing drivers license
• Renewing vehicle registration
• Scheduling an appointment for an in-person DMV visit
Using online DMV services when available is a good way of saving the time and frustration of an in-person office visit.
Scheduling a Driving Test
In many locations, you must call in advance to schedule an appointment for a driving test. However, some DMV offices also provide driver road tests without an appointment. It is best to check with your local DMV field office to find out their hours of operation for the specific services you need.