I was served by Rosanna and she was an absolute delight. Not only was she friendly on a Friday morning, she was beyond helpful and solved a number of issues for me, whilst also giving me hints on how I should approach things in the future. read more

Seems like I'm playing the same song as everyone else......but it's the DMV after all---no surprises here. Even with an appointment, I waited 40+ minutes for a 2 minute transaction. At least 2 out of 3 employees I interacted with weren't too surly but that does not mean I enjoy hearing other patrons belittled or rudely responded to. When did it become okay for employees to tell customers things like "Can't help you, I'm busy" or "I don't know who you need to ask either"? That's just terrible. Here's praying that I can renew my license by mail next time so I can skip this hot mess! read more

Let's face it, the DMV is an inevitable part of life, like back problems and Calculus. We all gotta come here at some point or another and if you don't want to wait more than 10 minutes to hear your number on that awful sounding automated number caller thing "Did they call B097? I could've sworn..." *looks at tv screen no B097 on there* Am I tripping? Am I hearing things? Just make an appointment. Making an appointment is like going to that hawt new club that has an infinite line of pissed off people that have been almost camping out there since the night before and you show up like you're fucking Kim Kardashian past the line, "Right this way, yes you're totally next right now. We will take care of your business in less than 5 minutes even if you didn't fill that form yet." And everyone hates you but they're also secretly jealous of you. The downside is, when you go online to make an appointment, the next available appointment is next month so if you need your learner's permit before the prom pronto, you're shit out of luck. read more

Okay, I read about this place on Yelp before we went. I knew what I was in for. I was semi-prepared to be herded like cattle, tagged with a number and led off to the slaughterhouse. My wife and I arrived way too freakin' early (7 a.m.) and there was already a line ten deep...what time did pink shirt get there this morning? We just stood there and drank our masala chai and read CityBeat- it was a good time waster. FYI, by the time the doors opened at 8:05 the line was wrapped all the way around the building! People were cruising the parking lot muttering and cursing to themselves, the feeling of frustration was hanging thick in the air. This was going to suck... But it didn't. It was fast and easy. The staff here were great, I mean at least for the DMV. Sure you can tell they hate their jobs and they know that people hate being there, but show 'em some love and you're golden. We were in and out without an appointment in 45 minutes and I still made it to work on time! Next time, I'm making an appointment, but dropping in really wasn't so bad. read more

What? Four stars for the DMV? I know, inconceivable. But as a new resident of California who also happens to have lost her Maryland driver's license...let's just say I've spent a lot of time here over the past couple of months. As others have said, appointments are the only way to go. And why wouldn't you? You can make one online or over the phone and it really will save you a lot of time. Staff was pleasant and even, dare I say, helpful. read more

OK, I know you're thinking: 5 stars? WTF? Is she crazy?! but no... Somehow it was totally painless! Not that I enjoyed being there, but it was painless! I took my husband on a friday morning (about 9:30 am) to get his driver's license renewed (he had one from WA). There were probably 5 people in line when we got there. We got the number thing, sat down for maybe 7-10 min (time enough only for him to fill out the paperwork) then we were called to the window. The guys was REALLY nice to us! What a cool guy! Took care of it all, gave him the little exam, he took it, waited 5 min for it to be corrected, he passed and we were out of there! I think the whole thing took less than 1h! Unbelievable!!!! read more

Well... People don't like coming here for a reason... If you've been here, you'll know why... I don't like the design of the building... for a government building, they need an upgrade. I feel like the employees there get treated horribly, which makes the experience horrible. Don't like it, NEVER will, they serve a purpose, but that's it. These guys wouldn't survive as a business if California wasn't mandated to go through them... Bad reviews on Yelp and other listings would put them out of business with a Quickness! On top of the actual physical location being horrible, their web presence is horrible as well. They need to update their website. Information isn't easily accessible. There's a lot of digging and researching just to get one simple thing. I can definitely say that from a Designer's perspective, the experience is HORRIBLE from website to physical location to employees... The end. read more

The DMV on Normal St.,is very busy. Make an appointment . No wait time. They are prompt and r

The worst! The rudest! The unprofessionalism! All workers there have been working this location for way too long * the way they care about your dmv VISIT SHOWS!! RUDE RUDE RUDE.! I'm born and raised in san diego and have seen the same people working here since the late 90s! They are arrogant! They are careless and rude! I have continued going to this location for way too long but MY LAST VISIT was the worst OF THEM ALL!! ((YOU CAN TELL THE ENTIRE TEAM /WORKERS ARE OVER WORKING)) NEVER AGAIN WILL I EVER RETURN TO THIS Hillcrest location. REPLACE THEM , RETURE THEM, OR HIRE FRIENDLY PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT CUSTOMERS!! read more

Pretty sure it's a requirement to be incompetent to work at the DMV... Not a single person knows the same amount of information as the person next to them. Plus this place smells. read more

To me this is One of the fasts DMV's although the short Caucasian lady with glasses was at the camera she's so rude I was literally standing there seeing her being rude to everyone it's ridiculous I know dealing with customers on top of that it's busy can be a lot but you know what you signed up for. read more

DMV, you seriously must have impressed me enough to write a review for you, DMV on Normal Street! Like the usual DMV suspect, I had a lot of negativity in my head when thinking of going to any DMV. So, before I just up and go, I get on the internet and schedule an appointment. Fast forward to the day before my appointment, I realize that I can't make it. So I make another one for the week after. You all know that even getting an appointment can be frustrating. I had to go in to get a moving permit and a one way permit for my beloved car that I was selling to a good friend of mine in AZ. Well, instead of waiting till Monday, we went on FRIDAY. Yeah, this story doesn't seem like it should end well. What is expected? A long ridiculous, why the hell am I at a DMV on a Friday kind of line. This did NOT happen to us. We got in and got a number. We waited for over an hour(this was absolutely expected). Once we got to the teller, she took care of us like I've never been taken cared of at a DMV before in my life! And I've lived in California for pretty much 30+ years. I figured I would ask if the lady could also take care of my driver's license renewal and she gave me a number to wait. I waited a whole minute before my next number was called and got through that SUPER fast. I was actually in a good mood when I left. I guess when you are beaten down so much from the wait time and the poor customer service, seeing something like this was a shock to me. DMV, I may not want to visit you every day, or every week, or every month, or even every year, but this one time you were pretty good to me. Thanks! read more

***Service levels in many of the Southern California offices are currently impacted due to reduced staffing, also DMV offices will not be open on Saturday, August 16, 2008.*** I find out THIS MORNING (read: August 16, 2008), as I'm double checking the address and office hours on the DMV website. NO SATURDAY HOURS. Which means that I'm now going to have to take time off of work (unpaid, I'm sure) to go during the week. It's bad enough that the DMVs out here are/were only open one Saturday per month. But now they're not at all? All I needed to do was retake the written/multiple choice test, pass it and then get my CA license (finally). I swear the DMV has thwarted my every effort to become a licensed and registered driver. Do you not WANT me here? Because it sure seems like you're making it pretty difficult for me. I can take a hint. I'm sure I'll update this again once I go during the week and find out what hell awaits me. read more

I never knew what people meant when they reference the California DMV until I moved to San Diego. You have to make an appointment??! Seriously?!? This is unheard of! This location isn't bad. My appointment times have always been honored, and the longest I've waited without an appointment is 1 1/2 hours. During my most recent visit, their number system went down and weren't able to let anyone new in the doors until it was back up. Luckily I already had a number and they were working manually through the list. All the staff seemed to handle the chaos like champions. They didn't look any more unhappy or miserable than usual. This is my local DMV so I'll be back...but seriously, make an appointment if you can. read more

Wow! What a zoo! I had an appointment and it still took me more than two hours. But the DMV's got a captive audience, and the employees are overworked and understaffed so things cannot improve in the foreseeable future. I understand the back-ups are caused by the fact that the RealID will be required soon for all travelers. It's issued by the DMV so anyone going here to renew a license is going to want to also get this in the same trip. Here's something, though, that is absolutely unnecessary: the clerks' lack of patience and courtesy. I had to go from one queue to another (that's the process) and I encountered at least five surly clerks. Not a single clerk who was pleasant in the least. read more

DMV you suck! Someone stole my wallet 3 hour wait to get another license. No appointments open unless I want to wait 3 weeks Fuck off CA DMV You have wasted hours and hours of my life with your out dated system read more

I mean, c'mon it's the DMV, so I feel like it automatically is a bummer. That being said, if you're fully aware of the fact that you'll be waiting for quite a long time and you can be patient, this shouldn't be too painful of an experience. We got there thirty minutes before opening one day and left about 2 hours later. I just needed to change my name on my license, so I brought all the necessary documents and pre-filled out form. Being prepared will make things go so much quicker! Once we actually got our little number we were called up fairly quickly. Exchange paperwork, pay the woman, take a photo, and you're outta there! Or you could be the advanced model and make an appointment. Those guys were whizzing through the line. read more

I've been to this DMV several times. I've always been able to get in and out. My advice to make it a good experience: A) make an appt online or B) check their location website to see what the wait time is. I went here on a Friday without an appt expecting to wait an hour or so. To my surprise their website said 12 minutes wait time. Seriously?! I rushed down there in a hot minute and waited about 15 minutes. The clerk was very helpful. Granted it was on a Friday before a 3-day weekend so it's all relative. Another tip is to ask the clerk for a yellow pass slip so the next time you go in, it gets you in much quicker and you get to cut in front of everyone. It's like DMV's version of the VIP line. Awesome, right? read more

No DMV should ever get a 5 in my book. Ever. That's like being in cahoots with the devil. That being said, I go to this DMV when the one within AAA isn't sufficient enough for the services I'm requesting. Make an appointment, and you're set to go. Don't make an appointment: good luck and bring a book or something to do. Though...they lose a star because I got annoyed that the workers were more than fine playing a game on their computer and talking about it in front of customers. Forget the people in the waiting area. ... Then again, they work for the DMV. Anything to get through that environment on a day to day basis. read more

This visit started off terrible. There is an unbelievably grouchy older woman who wanders around trying to keep order and the lines moving. She epitomizes why everyone dreads visits to the DMV. However, once I got my number everything about the visit went smoothly and all the other employees were friendly and helpful. I was able to book an appointment at this location 2 weeks faster than the one in Oceanside. A good experience except for the enforcer/bouncer! lol read more

Yea I know, you wish you were here too! No hating. I was in and out within an hour! Pretty awesome

I totally love this DMV just because they saved me a ton of money and they know what they are doing. Yes, you might spend your whole day here, which is why when you need to come here, you book an appointment or just dedicate your whole day to staying at the DMV. The save yourself a lot of time and the long wait just GO ONLINE AND BOOK AN APPOINTMENT! You'll be happy you did and if you don't..oh well. I came to fix a couple of issues because my plate number couldn't be found on their radar and to renew my registration, they took care of everything and I only had to spend $97.00, which was affordable. They handled everything within an hour which was a life saver, the lady attending to me was very nice and respectful, I left here feeling so achieved and happy. Definitely recommend this to place to everyone but first book an appointment and save yourself the trouble of waiting in line. read more

Ok, I'm almost still in shock by my experience here a few days ago. I was in and out in THIRTY MINUTES. At the DMV. what!!! So, obvi I made an appointment online ahead of time. You are INSANE if you show up without an appointment--the line snakes around outside the building! Those people must be waiting hours. Anyway, I walk in, fill out a form, hand it in, and wait maybe 5-10 minutes for my number to be called! That's it!! Just several more minutes to process things, get my picture taken, and I was shocked when they were like, "Ok, you're all set." The downsides? Well, there a zillion people packed into every crevasse of this room. Want to sit down? HA! Unless you are pregnant or old, forget about it. read more

Worst experience ever! Wish I could give ZERO stars. I was not rude to any employee in any way. It fact, I told one employee what a great job she was doing with the handling of everyone. I was super patient and waited 2 1/2 hours. I had already paid my renewal online in December and when my expiration date of my driver's license came and went at the end of February, I still hadn't received my renewed license in the mail. I tried to call the DMV number several times, but there was always a 2 to 3 hour wait time on the phone. Who has time to wait that long on the phone during work hours? I am in the medical field and can't sit on the phone for that long. When I finally had a day off to call them during the week, they told me that my renewed license was returned in the mail. They were unable to tell me why, even though I have lived at that address for almost 11 years. They would not remail it again and said the only way to get it was to go to the DMV. I made an appt online, but when I got here, they didn't have my appt on file, so I had to wait 2 1/2 hours before they called me up to the desk to finally process my renewal. I was called to desk #3 around 455pm on 5/15/18. The lady sitting at the desk didn't even ask "How can I help you?" She just took my processing paperwork and started typing away. She processed my renewal then said it was going to be $28. I told her I already paid online in December and she said rudely, "Why didn't you say that to begin with? Now I have to do this all over again". I told her I was sorry I just assumed that you could see it in the system that I already paid. Then she rudely said, "Why would you assume I would know that?" I told her that I told the previous clerk who checked me in and she had told me they would be able to see it in the system. Then she said, "I don't know to look for it unless you tell me." I told her again I was sorry and that "I don't know what I don't know." The kicker is...she just gave me a temporary paper license and said my card will be mailed to me. I swear, if it gets returned again...I will freak out!!!! I understand that DMV employees get shit on all day by mostly rude and impatient people. I would never want their job. However, it doesn't give them permission or the right to be bitchy assholes to everyone. I was super nice and kind and she was such a bitch to me. I'm sorry for all San Diegians who have to deal with this place. read more

The only reason why I am giving it two stars is because the process was fast. I went on a Thursday at 7:15 and left by 8:25. The directions were extremely unclear and didn't even know how long until I will get my license. I experienced the nastiest woman with a horrible attitude. There was no reason for her to be that nasty to every single person and she would talk about people after she helped them very loud and clear! This is the same woman in the pictures on yelp. I am shocked she still has a job. After I took my picture I had no idea if I was done or what to do because all the lady said was "move". Let's hope my license comes in the mail! read more

Wow! I'm surprised how quickly that went? In and out in minutes? Make sure you make an appointment at this place! Seriously! Make sure you do!!!!!!! Cause if you don't, this place looks wretched. The staff here is significantly more friendly then other DMVs I have encountered in San Diego, which is always a pleasant surprise. The only reason they get 4/5 stars is because there was absolutely no place to sit. and there were people crammed inside waiting to be called. Im always intrigued by the diverse amount of people you encounter at the DMV... always an... experience. read more

I'm honestly shocked at the number of 4 and 5 star reviews this place has. Yes, I made an appointment and no, I was not in-and-out in five...ten...fifty...(you get the point) minutes. I was in-and-out in just about two hours (oh yeah, lightening speed!). Just to confirm, it IS 2014, right? I mean, I have been watching a lot of Doctor Who recently, but I'm preeeetty sure it is in fact 2014. Is there a particular reason the DMV chooses not to use computers to grade their written exams? It's mind blowing that they have two people to administer and grade each exam by hand. Because there are several versions of the exam, these employees have to refer to a binder to compare answers. This cannot be the most efficient way to do things. Anyway, there is always someone selling snacks outside. That's a plus, I guess. Not my favorite place, but three stars for the funny and helpful employees who helped me out during my last visit. read more

As I drove up at 8:10am this morning I saw the line of about 40-50 people wrapped around the building. The last bit of hope I felt for leaving the DMV in a timely manner faded. By the time I get into line it's 8:15. The line started moving and as I moved closer to the front door I hear a man spouting the words of jesus. Really? Really? It's too early for any religion especially at the DMV. I am standing right next to the doorway to hell and you decide NOW you wanna preach to me? If there was a jesus I don't think he gives a damn about me since he came at the last minute. Thanks but no thanks. By 8:45am I'm inside. I have to renew my 6+ expired license and overdue registration. 30 minutes later I my number is called and I get a nice lady who actually smiled. She efficiently took care of my needs and even joked a bit. 1 hour and 20 minutes after my arrival to the DMV I left with everything taken care of. I was shocked as s**t. 0_0 My advice: -If you have stuff to do later just get it over with and come early. Preferably before 8am. (No I didn't make an appointment) -They take cards now. -Have all your papers and paper work filled out beforehand. -Hand sanitizer - it's dirtier than a chuckie cheeze ball pit in there. read more

This place doesn't even deserve a one rating. I have lived in California for 21 years after moving from Peru. I have only encountered racism once or twice prior to my visit to the DMV. For the most part, I forget I am considered a minority . People in my life could care less what race I am (I could care less what race my friends/co-workers are). Today, I was reminded that I am a minority and according to these people, I am not worth eye contact or respectful treatment in any way. How can a place full of Hispanics have so little respect and empathy for them? I made an appointment early in the morning knowing how busy they are. I knew getting an ID for a fourteen month old baby and waiting in line would be too much for my little guy so I made the appointment far in advance and on a day where I could be a little late to work. After waiting for our number and being called we walked to this guy's window. We were skipped by this guy after someone, who had no appointment, happened to just go to his window by mistake. In addition, this guy pretty much raised his voice when we explained he had called our number and we were actually next. We complained to his manager who could have cared less and also wouldn't even look at me when I spoke (they only talked to my husband). We explained to the manager that my son needed his diaper changed but we couldn't even go do that because this guy was just making us wait while he helped this other person who just walked in. He then had a call to answer and that's when we complained again. People who arrived after we did had already left by the time we finally were helped. I took everything with patience so my son would not feel my stress but by the time his picture was taken he was in tears. The guy even questioned our son's social security number (we even had my son's birth certificate to show he was born here)... The person who "helped" us must be very unhappy; I know DMV could care less about my comments but I sure feel better to warn people about this particular DMV office. I plan to go to the location in Clairemont from now on. One hour and twenty minutes for an ID for a little baby is unacceptable. For the first time in 11 years of being together, my husband thinks we were given treated differently because of my race. He felt bad and I felt worried about my little son and how much I don't want him to be treated like this when he grows up. read more

"Ive been the hell, I spell it D-M-V" or so sings the band Primus. I have had horrible experiences here in the past but today wasn't bad at all. I had to renew my licence since it expired on my birthday a week ago. I got there early, I was 4th in line. Just before they opened up some lady tried to play dumb and cut in line, but we shot that down pretty quick. I filled out the necessary form, I just happened to be the only one going in with licence issues so I was pretty much in and out of there in about 15 minutes after they opened. Not too bad. I can only give them 3 stars because there is nothing fun or enjoyable about it. read more

This visit wasn't as bad as I was dreading so it was a pleasant surprise. My DL was about to expire and I moved so I was not able to renew by mail as I usually do. Keep in mind I don't even go to the DMV for my auto registration, thank you AAA! I was expecting the worst and as the time was drawing near for my expiration I didn't have another option, so I sucked it up and went after work. Yep, after work, at 4pm with only one hour until they closed their doors and my chances of being helped were slim. Naturally the place was jammed packed. I thought a Monday would be slower since no one likes Mondays but the line as usual was out the door and around the corner. It only took me 35 minutes to get to the front of the line a pull a ticket. The gentleman that helped me there was the standard unhappy unhelpful typical DMV employee. But once I was seated the wait was only 20 minutes before my ticket was called and I was greeted by a young, friendly, helpful, polite DMV employee. Yep, total SHOCKER!! Someone who works at the DMV is polite AND helpful! He helped me in less than 5 minutes and I was directed to the line to have my picture taken. I wasn't in the picture line for more than 1 minute before another very polite and helpful employee directed me to an alternate picture line, where my picture was taken immediately and I was out of there in no time. My total time from wait until completion was 1 hour and 5 minutes. Wham! Bam! My favorite DMV is the Hillcrest one, since they have the shortest wait time and the best time to go is an hour before they close since everyone who works there is trying to go home they process everything much faster. I'm no longer dreading my next visit in 1 year when I have to process my name and address change. read more

DMV - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - San Diego, California

Wait was tolerable when you factor in how many people and transactions that the office processes each day. My questions were answered and paper work processed efficiently. The three staff members that I spoke with were all friendly and professional. When I have visited here with an appointment, I am always in and out within 20 minutes. Wish they would power wash the sidewalks out front once in a while though, they are pretty dirty due to the mass of humanity that goes in and out of here all the time. read more

Doors open at 8am. Got here and stood in line at 8:30am. Got my number by 9am. Waited 3 hours till my number finally got called. Left at 12:15pm. Total spent at this DMV, 3.5 hours. All just to renew my drivers licence. Total bs. read more

Spent a total of 35 minutes here. Great experience. People were professional and very polite. Got in and out quickly. DMV'S get a bad rap from people's experience years ago. They have come a long way in terms of customer satisfaction. What most people don't understand , is that the staff must process their work legally and appropriately. I commend the staff there. Thank You! Robert read more

Just because it is still the DMV I am very hesitant to give it five stars but I am tempted. I, like most, dread the DMV! I had been putting it off and even woke up with a headache knowing I had to deal with what might be closely related to as the devil!. I always say that expectations are planned disappointments and this trip to the Normal st. DMV proved to pleasantly disappoint! The staff was friendly and even eager to help me. They smiled, were polite and even held conversations with not only me but those around me. Are they getting secret shopped now? Oh yeah I didn't even have an appointment and I was not there for more than 45 minutes. As long as I live in San Diego this DMV will be the only one I go to. read more

I came into the DMV with a scheduled appointment time and was directed to the attendant in front. As I was waiting to be called a women at the front door yelled at me to wait outside. I explained that I had already waited in line and she would not listen to a word I was saying. She kept pointing and repeating "wait OUTSIDE". I stood behind the door as directed for her to call me in 5 seconds later and fumble on her iPad. I presented my appointment confirmation number and she handed me the paper with no apology. She was out of line and I get we have bad days, but this is your job, be professional! Date: 6/6/19, time 11:35, hopefully they retrain her on proper customer service skills. read more

I spent a few days watching the line times and this location seemed to have the lowest wait time out of all the San Diego area ones, advertising as low as 27 minutes during the early afternoon, though it was back up to 1 hour when I got there around 4 PM. They seemed to let people in until just before 5 PM when they locked the doors but kept processing everyone who was already in. Compared to my previous DMV experiences elsewhere, one of which involved waiting 6 hours for my number to be called, this was an absolute breeze. Waited in line to get a number for about 10 minutes then waited another hour for my number to be called. They were moving pretty efficiently for being the Monday after a furlough day. The photo line was another story, however, as they apparently have to fingerprint and get the signatures for even small children before they can take the photo of the kid being hoisted side-armed into the camera by their parents. Amusing, but took at least ten minutes per kid. Employees seemed nice enough, though the whole place was like a massive vector for every contagious disease in existence. Not much room, so I just sat down and read a book while listening to various customers. Like some of the previous reviewers said, this place is awesome to people watch and listen to random conversations. Unfortunately for a few unlucky souls in the parking lot, parking in close proximity to "testing" drivers meant risking some rather nasty fender benders. Might be worth parking well out of the range of the unlicensed test drivers. This location did have something I hadn't seen before and which made a lot of sense- an employee would talk to people outside the building as they got into line and tried to figure out if they could accomplish what they needed to do online or if they had the correct paperwork. Such a simple idea, yet it was extremely effective at culling the line and ensuring that people didn't waste time later. Kudos to the man assigned this thankless yet useful task. I'm giving this three stars because it seems like a competent enough place and compared to other DMVs in other states was a joy to visit. read more

Details : No appointment, arrived at 8:45 am, needed to remove license restrictions (pay a fee) Pros: I have always preferred coming to this location. I've never had a bad experience here and even without an appointment I'm usually in and out. I got in a line that wrapped around the building close to 8:45 am this morning, and was paying my fee and leaving the building by 9:45. Quick & Efficient Cons: None ! Minus the heat but they can't control it read more

I envy you organized peeps who stroll past me at the DMV with your appointments!! Ugh, maybe one day.. Otherwise, out of all my years DMV'ing, this has by far been my fav office. In and out within 45 min, no appt. at about 1 in afternoon on a Thursday. My interactions with all employees were actually very pleasant! I even had nice chats with others waiting. Go in with a positive attitude and a smile on your face, together we can change the DMV experience! ;) read more

Made an appointment. Didn't give me a spot until a month later, but it was okay because when I came on a Wednesday afternoon, the line was long out the door. The appointment line, however, only had 5 people in it! Came for a name change. Remember: CASH, CHECK, OR DEBIT ONLY. people here were pretty friendly and def. Professional, especially young Latino guy at window 16. Overall took about 30 minutes. read more