Department of Motor Vehicles

So, I came here early in the morning with an appointment to turn in the DL44 form. The woman told me I needed to pay a fee for a vision exam. I was literally the only one being serviced. I had to look through my wallet to get the money. Apparently one minute is too long for that impatient jerk. She threw away my form for taking too long, gave me a new one, and told me to get back in line, and have the money ready immediately. Like I said earlier, there was no one else being serviced, so I had to take another number, and I got called up immediately. I turned in the form which was no different than the one the lady threw away just minutes ago. There was absolutely no reason why the lady had to throw away my form, make me fill out the same exact form, and then immediately go back to her.
The only positive thing about this place is that the parking, which is part of a plaza, is huge, so drivers don’t have to struggle to park. Also the building is well kept and clean.

I would give them zero stars if I could. They were really rude and didn’t even asked if I wanted to take a new photo. They could have said I couldn’t do it anymore in a nicer way but the young blonde lady was being a real c*nt. Sorry, not sorry. They wasted my time and money.

AC gets most of the stars !! Especially during this humid weather. Slow service as always. . But a couple workers are very Uninviting, stern and not friendly/​warming. It’s unfortunate, just seems like they don’t care much.

I had a great experience at this DMV! I moved from out of state and had to get a license as well as new plate for my vehicle. Everyone was extremely friendly and very patient with me as they explained what paperwork I needed to complete. Keep in mind this appointment was on a Friday and on the last day of the month, so they were incredibly busy! Just make sure you book an appointment. You’ll end up waiting a LONG time if no appointment is booked, but that’s your own damn fault!

Although it’s a small DMV office, I like the people here. They are mostly nice and patient to visitors. When I took the behind-​the-​wheel test, a nice lady send me good-​luck wishes after helping me check in for the test. Another lady spent almost ten minutes to help an elderly lady to understand how to take computer-​based exam. They are really professional and warm-​hearted.

There are a couple of sweet people who work here, but there are others who have mocked my frustrations with the process. And today… I got here 20 mins after they opened and an hour and a half later I’m still waiting. For DL replacement! Someone please bring me a razor blade so I can slit my wrists now.

Been sitting here for 2 hours, with no end in sight, and just watched 3 people go to lunch at one time!!! Poor business practice and poor customer service.

As DMVs go, this one’s pretty good.
Obviously, if you live in Goleta, it’s a no brainer: there is no reason to go to the cesspool on Castillo if you can swing by this nondescript strip mall with the teeny, weeny office (in spite of too few places to sit) on your way into SB for food. (This assumes you might want to eat with some regularity somewhere other than Outback or another chain in box store land, though Hollister Brewing is good, Portofino not bad and the Mexican restaurant in Magnolia Center outstanding and inexpensive. The biggest problem with living in Goleta is food: you’re looking at 20 minutes pretty much to any downtown eatery and even longer to Montecito.)
As for SB people: the strip mall location is not really convenient to the rest of SB and SB people are spoiled beyond belief both by nearly perfect year round and little traffic except a few places a few hours a day. Consequently, they balk at a 20 minute drive and I know a flake of a father whose son might have gotten into this great engineering high school prep program (it’s free at the best public school in town, Dos Pueblos I think) but he’s such a lazy narcissist, he didn’t want to DRIVE HIS never before academically inclined and high IQ but ADHD SON to Goleta from the border of Montecito.
But believe me, you can find something to accomplish or a way to kill time in Goleta: a trip to Costco or Home Depot or Anna’s Bakery or the Mexican restaurant by the SB Cosmetology School, which by the way offers excellent facials for 30 or 35, a third what the identical treatment with those products would run at most of the upscale spas in town which don’t look like a mental institution circa 1950 in what Suzanne Vega called «Institution Green» in a song of than name.
I wanted a vanity plate. I paid but never picked it up and now I think it’s too late.
PHDTNA: PhD candidate and T and A should be self-​explanatory. The funny man with the longish curly hair was no dummy and said I had to give an explanation. Well, if you know me and my views re the South, it’s hilarious that I chose Tennessee and Alabama. Or maybe he did.
We had a good laugh about that.

The tiniest DMV I have ever been, thus far…
So, it was small, so I definitely expected better. It’s like a class – the bigger the class the less attention you get from your professor, the smaller the class, the better chances you have. Of course, that is another generalization. Anyway, they were short-​staffed, and really passive people. Although, they were «a little quick» with the service, given the amount of staff they had. It still took them an hour and a half to finish a service that could have been done 45 minutes maximum, going to a regular DMV.

I’m only giving two stars because this is always a fairly quick DMV… However, the condescension and attitude I received when asking a simple question about a fee was unnecessary. I know it’s the DMV and no one wants to be there, but why the hostility? I was being nice.

I wish…
I wish I could have a job where I only had to help 6 people a day, dish out lots of attitude and be looking forward to plenty of pension.
The really sad part, is this is the best DMV that I’ve been to in the last 10 years…

I had pretty quick service from a few nice ladies today when I came in around 1 pm. No problems or attitude at all, beating the DMV stereotype!