Department of Motor Vehicles

I went in two days ago at around 9:15 am (they open at 8:30 am). I had to go to update my address, get a new photo taken, and issued a new ID. I was in there for literally less than 15 minutes. There were only a few people waiting, my number was called before I had even finished filling out the paperwork. Furthermore, the employees were all very sweet and informative. There was an older male employee standing by the door who was so cheerful and willing to help it blew me away. All of my experiences up until now at any DMV had been awful — who wants to go to the damn DMV? But I swear, if you need to go, make your way over here. Nice people, fast service, you’ll be in and out.

Ok… so I grew up in queens and the only DMV’s I’ve experienced when I was a teenager was the one in Jamaica. sucks…you will die waiting on line! Then the one in flushing opened and was a tad faster but when you’re done, you find some parking tickets and a few door dings.
I moved to Long Island and found a gem… it seems like no one knows about it because it is oddly located between a Kmart and a Marshall’s. It doesn’t even look like a DMV… more like a shoe store. Anyhow I’ve been in there maybe 6 times and has never taken me longer than an hour whether it’s for a registration, or license renewal, eye test etc. You enter, there is an information booth and two automated kiosks that a security guard mans.
Today I needed to surrender my plates for my previous vehicle since I just bought a new car… yep, my Unilocal reviews are posted for that experience, you will definitely benefit from my loss of precious time. So I walk in and I tell the guard, I need to surrender my plates, he pushes a button on one of the kiosks and hands me a ticket like I’m at a supermarket deli… I’m number K157… Oh boy I wondered, is it like… J278 and I have a four hour wait just to turn in old plates?
As I walk a few feet to find a seat on the 6 rows of varnished light colored wood benches like in a church, I hear an automated female voice say, «now serving K157 at B3», I look to my right and the B3 counter lady is looking at me with the number sign flashing the number K157… I’m like… are you kidding? Is there a camera for a reality show pointed at me?
Instantly, I’m thinking I’m Icky Woods… K157? That’s me! Get some cold cuts, get some cold cuts… whooooo, gonna get some cold cuts today!!!
I turn my plates in, I get a receipt and the guard says have a great day… ready? 3 minutes… unreal!
WHATTTTTTTTT?
I’ve come a long way from Jamaica Queens!!!

My stepfather live in that are, he took me there go get my registration changed. there was literally 5 minutes waiting time! and there is a chinese takeout next door, SUPER fast!!!

best DMV experience i’ve ever had.
had to walk out to look at the sign and make sure i was in the right place.

i just had my effing mind blown by the most pleasant, efficient, minimally stressful DMV experience of my life.
this branch is stuck in a huge strip mall and looks rather ominous as you walk in with the rent-​a-​cop security guard and a large, metal grate at the exit a la a subway exit. but then you’re efficiently, if not a little brusquely, ushered into the waiting area by what they called «hostesses». these are free roaming women, DMV concierge if you will, who are super skilled at seating and managing people in the order they came in and their business at the. you sit in these rather uncomfortable pew type wooden benches and even though there were about 30 people in front of me I was in and out of the this place in about 23 minutes.
even the actual clerk who processed everything for my registration was nice and helpful. she was a younger girl who said she had worked at the DMV in Brooklyn and came to this one with a bad attitude because that’s all she had dealt with at that branch. but here… everyone seemed way less agro, saying thank you and good morning to each other. it was thoroughly unlike any government services office i had witnessed in my life, both in NYC and elsewhere.
if you have any DMV business to do and have a way to get to this office, you must… it’s so worth it.