This is the longest I've ever waited at the DMV. I've been here for well over 2 hours and have not even gotten a number ticket to be seen. I'm still here in line waiting as we speak. Avoid this place like the plague if you're trying to do a non-appointment. There's literally 2 people here working on the registration desk, and even though the line is split for appointments and non appointments, they have been only calling appointments to both desks for the last 60+ minutes. Who does that ? I used to go to the Lincoln heights DMV and I would be in and out within 2 hours despite the lines trailing around the entire building. Before somebody tells me I should have been "prepared" to get an appointment, I'm not even going to go into the reasons for why I ended up with having to do a non-appointment. Its 3:45 pm and they are still serving people for a 3:00 pm appointment. How inefficient is this ? read more

I had to get my Real ID for the first time so I uploaded my documents online and went in person at 7:45AM. There was already a long-ish line but it only looks long because people are spaced out 6 feet apart. Everyone who I interacted with was nice, from the person taking my temperature to the lady who checked to make sure I had all my documents with me to the lady at the window (I think her name was Pamela. She was super nice and kept calling me "hon" lol) and even the one who took my photo in the end. Overall, I waited about an hour in the line and then got called to go in right away once I checked in. Definitely try to do as much as you can online so that if you have to show up in person, it will be quick and painless. Everyone is wearing a mask (or even two) and customers are properly spaced apart so I felt safe. read more

Three stars might seem extravagant for a DMV but having dealt with the Pasadena office this one seemed pretty good, believe it or not. I came here for my daughter's driving test, and in comparison to Pasadena the parking lot is large, there are actual windows and natural lighting in the building, and the lack of ceiling-to-counter bulletproof glass is nice (see what I'm coming from here?) We made an appointment but still had to wait nervously in line with a bunch of other teenagers, but no real surprise there. The examiner was a little old lady with a pleasant attitude who didn't pull any weird tricks, and provided some useful feedback once my daughter had finished (and passed) the test. So the DMV isn't ever going to be fun but this place showed us that it doesn't have to be Hell either. read more

THIS DMV NEEDS NEW EMPLOYEES! Every single one that I have encounter were very rude! Is it really necessary to have ugly face expressions when someone asking a question! I came in for a license renewal & needed proof of documents which I didn't understand why. The front desk gave me a ticket to come back the next day with proof. Following did I showed up & showed them my ticket that I DID NOT need to wait in line had a signature & one of the employee said "nope nope nope make the line" I repeatedly told her I did not have to since the employee signed the ticket & inform me that I didn't need to make a line so basically I couldn't walk in! This is when I decided to leave & went to another dmv was so fast & easy & didn't need ANY DOCUMENTS. They need to fire every single employee in the arleta dmv hire people who answer politely instead of giving you attitude or being very rude read more

I try to avoid the DMV, but I had already renewed my driver's license by mail so any times I didn't recognize myself in the photo. Two weeks before my birthday, I went online to make an appointment, and this was the only DMV in the Los Angeles area where I could get an appointment before my license expired. The parking lot was jam-packed and I circled like a buzzard until someone came out and left. By then it was fifteen minutes before my appointment time. The line for appointments was outside, and it was hot and nasty. But a guard went through the line looking for the 2:00 appointments and let us inside, where it was significantly cooler. The line there didn't seem to be moving, but it was far shorter than the non-appointment line. When they started the 2:00 appointments, it moved well. Clerk was friendly and polite to me. From there, armed with a number I went to the large waiting room, which looked pretty grim. A LOT of people sitting waiting. There's a monitor that tells you which numbers are being called. Mine was called almost instantly. Again, the clerk was friendly and polite. Did the eye test, thumbprint, did my photo, paid my money... and I was out the door. Total time: 45 minutes, and part of that was because I was early and had to wait outside. Boo on the parking and the hot line outside. And the space itself is uggggggggggggly. But everyone was helpful, polite, and friendly. read more

Wow this place is SOOO much better then the one in Glendale!! The lady the helped us out in window 26 or 27 was super nice! I went for my sons written licenses permit! This is where I'll be going for my new real ID! read more

If you're taking your drivers test DONT COME HERE !! My appointment was at 10:40am and i didn't start the drivers test until 12:24pm ! If you come here and your instructor is PATRICIA, IMMEDIATELY request somebody else. She was so rude to me. As I'm driving the first thing she tells me to do was to park by a tree trunk, I didn't see the tree trunk so I parked by a tree. She YELLS at me saying "i said tree trunk is this a tree trunk?" After that i was done. I went to report her for screaming at me and the lady at the desk was asking me for her name then another lady from the desk next to her buts in and says "are you sure she wasn't being assertive?" I said no ! She RUDELY SCREAMED at me. They said something in between themselves and I just realized they were not going to do anything about it. So I hope this review gets something done. At least hire someone with better people skills. read more

One thousand dollars to get a little blue sticker so i can drive something I OWN ! I already paid for the tuck once! This is nothing more than - T A X - ITS WHY WE LEFT ENGLAND FOLKS.... read more

No wonder they stereotype dmv associates so bad. TWO ladies managing the line and not one let us know they had cut it off to close. They let 20 people stay in line ONE HOUR to just tell us they were closed. And they call their supervisor Theresa to come out and think just because she can yell, she can speak over everyone. Blaming the governor for all this. Pathetic service no hope for these people read more

It may sound so unbelievable, but YES! I give this particular location 5 stars but- only because of my experience. I went there around the 1st or 2nd of June to pay for my brother's registration tags, and of course, since DMV is known for long lines and employees' obnoxious attitudes (in general) and snail-paced work style, I already got frustrated but I still went. When I got there, I felt the need to go use the potty. So, after I got my number, I went and as soon as I made a turn on the corner from the door I noticed a machine that says " Self-Serve Registration Payment Machine". When I saw it, it felt like there was a beam of light that flashed on top of it and I heard the chorus " Allelujah!" ringing in my ears. OMG! So, I did my business and I went back and used the machine. There was no line for that machine and there was someone to help me with processing what I need. I was done in exactly 10 minutes- I got the tag, the registration card and the receipt for the amount I paid. The beauty of it is, I don't have to wait for anything, including my number to be called! NOW- this machine is ONLY intended for those who need registration renewal. I don't know if this machine can help drivers with a smog check requirement. But, it's just exciting to share my best DMV experience. Who gets to say this about the DMV?? read more

Not bad place but they need another self service registration Line was way too long -_- read more

It is so frustrating been waiting for 3 hours and no body can help me, I just want to change my address and when I asked why they are taking to long the DMV workers were so rude and gave attitude. Why these people don't appreciate our time. This is not right at all read more

DMV - Arleta - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Pacoima, California

There is poor customer service, long lines in the sun, and the staff feels self-entitled that they work for the DMV. The staff looks miserable and becomes upset when you ask questions. Politically speaking, I believe the problem with monopolizing services like the DMV prevents customers from receiving quality service. If there is no competition for the service the DMV offers, than the DMV has no pressure in insuring quality. They continue to offer poor service based on the fact that we as customer cannot go any where else. Anyways, it is what it is! read more

Appointments costumers ... For appointments .... Non appointments costumer ... For PEOPLE WITH NO APPOINTMENTS.... Why is it that That none appointments line it's taking people appointment ? Tell me why... That's not fair ... It's a big ass sign describing the lines... If u really don't know how to read why to they hire people that don't know how to do their job right ... We gotta be fair .... CALIFORNIA WE GOTTA BE FAIR ... read more

DMV - Arleta - Take off those sign... So people don't bitch about it .. - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Pacoima, California

Terrible service! I had an appointment in the afternoon on 6/30/20. Most of the people working there were awful. The woman at window #23 was awesome but the rest had terrible attitudes and no common sense. The guy at window #31, LUIS, was extremely rude and not very sensible. He acts like customers walk in there reading his mind and gives an attitude if you ask a question. He was yelling at people asking for basic information. If he is sick and tired of answering questions while working at a government agency, he should ask for a transfer away from the front desk. This guy had no self awareness. It was shameful. Management should address his poor performance as well as the young woman screening people outside. Both need some customer service training. I am a CA State employee. This level of service would not be tolerated at my agency. read more

This review is for the gentleman that we dealt with today while renewing our registrations. He was clearly new as he kept needing the managers assistance. He wore a diamond earring and a tan shirt today. Worked window 20. He was the snarkiest, rudest DMV teller I've dealt with. Immediately acted pretentious as if we were intruding on his day. Now keep in mind, we're on the tail end of a pandemic where both my husband and I were unemployed making the minimum on unemployment. We fell behind in bills and rent so, needless to say, a roof over our head and food on the table took priority over vehicle registration. With the knowledge that CA has been lenient with its residents in understanding this difficult time, I asked this guy if there were programs or any grace for late penalties. Immediately in the most condescending tone informed us "but we were open. You could have registered." We told him we have been out of work since March of 2020 and that we couldn't afford it. His judgmental and disgusting response was, "well, you were on unemployment right? So you had money." My husband nearly went through the window. This kid has ZERO place in a customer service job. He needs to understand that people were losing homes, unable to feed their families and that DMV fines were settling at the back of the priority list - and tack that on top of the almost 2 hour wait in line in the sun to get inside along with the dread of spending what pennies we do have to get our cars up to date. The ONLY saving grace was the Manager at this location. Thankfully this kid needed help so the manager came over. A gentleman that wore an Army lanyard around his neck. He was a dentist in the army (small talk chat in line.) He was kind and did what he could to help us. He is the only reason this place gets 2 stars. read more

The lines are kind of packed and its super busy, but the employees really do their best to get you in & out, in a timely manner. I love the machine for registration. The machine is almost never out of order and there's a real sense of order amongst the traffic. This place would be better with an appt., but if not, it's not that bad & they really are trying out different techniques to get you aerved, quickly. read more

Worst DMV customer service, a really big location, lots of employees but helpless take for ever to get help. No automated renewal registration machine. read more

The place can get extremely hectic. The best way to survive the DMV chaos is to plan ahead: 1. You got to make an APPOINTMENT online. 2. Don't forget to make an APPOINTMENT and have your confirmation number with you. 3. You don't have to wait until midnight if you have an APPOINTMENT. 5. Park outside 6. I was done in 25 minutes. read more

I arrived at this location for a license renewal around 9:45 am on a Monday having a 10:00 am appointment. There were about 100 people waiting already. But the line for appointment, there were about 5 people. The security guard told me to go wait in line to be checked in by the receptionist. I finally came to the receptionist around 10:10. Told me to go to window 31 to register online. I got a print out and started waiting. I waited and waited until they called me at 1:30. They took my picture and when I went back to window 31 for the written test, computer is down. Now I have to come back another day. It is really frustrating that I waited total 3:30 hours with appointment and not everything was done because the computer wasn't working. They need to fix this problem. And its not acceptable to wait that long with appointment. read more

Make an appointment!!!! Clean cold... voice server is stuck in my head. Nothing has changed since my last real visit in 1989...

The system seems to be failing us. To make an appointment your average wait time is 3 to four weeks out, and for non-appointments the wait time in the office can be more then four hours. When I tried to ask they said everyone's wait time is the same, that people are all waiting about the same amount of time. Though the letters seem to go faster if you have a letter A or G. Don't know what category that is. I had a B for registrations, and the lapse time was an average of 20- 30 minutes at a time. Registered at 10am it is now 12:17 pm. This does not include the 1 1/2 hours I waited to get my number first. Lesson learned read more

The earlier you go the longer the line is I always have to be here for like 3 or 4 hours every time I come is crazy

So I took my brother to get his permit without an appointment. The 2 hour and 45 min wait in 100 degree weather was not the problem. So he filled out the form, got to a receptionist to issue us out a number. We then waited till around 4:40pm when they finally called his number only to be told he had to come back because in order to take exam one has to enter the testing area 30 minutes before closing time. Really?!? What a waste of my time!!! Had we known as soon as he got the number that he probably was not going to make that 30 min grace period we would have gladly scheduled an appointment for a later date instead of waisting our time and hoping right then and there. They need to communicate so that people do not waste their time. read more

People working inside are the slowest and inefficient workers I've seen in my entire life take an hour just to open up .. lady took 5 minutes to put her sweater on as people wait outside . Terrible service read more

Not sure what time of day most of these reviewers came in, but my wait only took 10-15 minutes from grabbing a number to being called to a window, all with a 10 AM appointment. Yes, there is a line for appointments as well as walk-ins, but when the security guard calls out your scheduled appointment time, that's when you move inside and the wait isn't very long afterwards. The people who helped me out were extremely nice. If you show some patience and respect, you will be treated the same! read more

As bad as the DMV is, this one is so much worse! I've been here two times because they always have appointments available within a few days. There's a reason for that. This is the armpit of DMVs. The security guard that mans the front door is like a bouncer at some exclusive but crappy club. He wields way to much power, with or without an appointment. He lets people who were late to their appointment cut in front of people who are on time for their appointment. Not cool, I'm not saying tell them to go home, but don't let them cut the line of 5-10 people who are one time for read more

I had to go in to get my license renewed as the on-line process had a problem. They had strict enforcement of the distancing and mask protocol. I felt quite safe. They take your forehead temperature. The line was about 45 minutes for the initial consolation. You are given a ticket number and access to an app that lets you wait in your car before a window is ready for you. The staff was friendly and cordial. Took about an hour and a half altogether. I expected much worse. I was pleasantly surprised. read more

This was one of the nicest DMV I have ever been to in a while. The wait time was a little long but their service made up for it. Shout out to Kam haha read more

Could not have a better experience this morning, young friendly woman took my appt even though I was at the wrong DMV, what a nice experience! read more

Wow! Honestly the fastest DMV that I've ever been to! I don't know if I just got lucky or what.. but I went to replace a lost DL and was in and out of there in 35 min! That's unheard of! At least not at the Glendale location.. I almost don't want to post this and share this news cause I don't want that to change in case I need to be back here again for the same reason read more

The worse Dmv branch ever the examiner was so rude very awful.she's so mean and has severe bad attitude,she's not doing her job properly she's arguing and chatting the other examiner and repeatedly asked me of hand signal 3 times in a rude manners and she intervened my driving without any reason before exiting the parking lot and later told me to park and I failed because according to her lying mind I'm going to drive in a curbside which is not true ,she's awful and so mean ,extremely unpleasant behavior,she's wearing blue suit with sunglasses and dark hair lady she's awful,she's so bi"" attitude severe awful what a horrible experience with the lady examiner she's worse examiner.what a waste of time read more

3 of the staff I know there are amazing and so helpful, I really commend them for their job and how they help me the new numbering system they are using to call people is not effective they need to go back to the old system read more

I had a good experience at this DMV location. I did not have to wait in a long line. I got there at about 1p.m. without an appointment. The DMV personnel were helpful. I passed my driving test with no problem. I will definitely come back to this location for all my DMV needs. read more

Make an appointment online, do your research and bring all necessary documents. If you are polite and professional, so are they. For a previously licensed driver from another state applying for a California license, I was in and out in one hour. Not bad for the volume. read more

I took my behind the wheel driving test here. The first time I failed but I'm not complaining about it. But the second time, my instructor was this chola looking lady with bright red hair She "command" (according to what she told me from the star) me to do a lane change and there was a car behind me so I let him pass. As I was making a lane change, the car that I let passed slowed down out of no where so I hit the break. But that's when that red hair grabbed on to my wheel (which I understand, I ain't complaining) but my problem was that she started screaming at me saying what's wrong with me. What's wrong with ME?! Even when I started going, she kept screaming at me. Even after I parked the car, she kept giving me attitude and yelling at me saying what's wrong with me. Other staffs were very nice, especially the female security guard. But that red head was by far the rudest person I've met at any DMV. Being an instructor does not give you the right to degrade someone like that. THE WORSE DMV EVER. read more

I was there at 12 on a Monday and didn't leave until 5:30. Staff wasn't friendly and complained the whole time about doing their own jobs. After waiting 5 hours I finally got called and they told me I was unable to take a test because they stop giving out the tests at 4:30 so for an hour I was sitting there for nothing!! Can't believe I wasted so much time for nothing. read more

The dmv is pretty much a slow place the parking it's horrible. The waiting as everyone knows that's time even with appointment.

The lady that does the behind the wheel test with red hair is very rude and does not know how to do her work. She should really be replaced because i'm not the first one to have a bad experience with her. Her attitude really doesnt belong with people who are paying and doing everything right to get their license read more

There are faster, friendlier DMV offices in the San Fernando Valley area. I wouldn't go to this one unless you have an appointment.