After ten years living outside Maryland, my husband and I returned and needed new driver's licenses. We opted to try to MVA office in Westminster because it would be an easy trip. I was apprehensive about what we'd encounter; their reviews aren't that great. But we had an excellent experience. The check-in system was easy to use and didn't take much time. There was plenty of seating available. We were called up for service right on time. It took us about ten minutes to get our temporary licenses, and we were also able to register our car. Good work, Westminster MVA! read more

Do not take your driving skills test here! I went with my son and it was a horrific experience. Basically they had failed him before he began. After waiting an hour because they forgot about us, the manager came out to do the parking aspect of the test. I am pretty sure she didn't have an examiner to do the driving aspect of the test so she just plain failed him even though he parked perfectly. When I complained she ended just walking away from us, questioning my sons character! I'm not kidding. It was demeaning and my son was extremely hurt by this. I know about testing in vehicles well, I use to be fast jet aircrew in the military. Our training was the toughest there is. This was, by far, the worst experience I have had in the last few years. Just don't waste your time here. They are rude disorganized and incompetent. Shame on them. read more

When taking my drivers Skills test, I had a very rude instructor moved all my seats around and complained that my Ac didn't work. Other than talking then about the air conditioning he didn't speak or truthfully explain what i was doing (I knew from Drivers ed) but not to make directions clear on the test was weird to me. very unprofessional if you want nice people and clear directions go take your skills test in Baltimore very quick and easy and all the people are sweet read more

If I could do 0 stars I would. Instructor couldn't give clear directions for road test, was rushed, and had an attitude. Couldn't even start the test because his instructions were not understandable. Failed me before I started. read more

I would give this horrible place a negative star but this is the lowest I'm able to give. They are extremely negligent and unprofessional. The workers have a egocentric mindset, insisting they are better and therefore know more. They won't pay attention to anything and during any driving or written test. And worst of all fail you based on how they are feeling, had 2 tests back to back and both somehow went wrong. First one was bad because of an unknown reason even though I had 0 strikes, and the instructor was extremely unprofessional. He didn't do any vehicle checks nor did he bother checking the entire test. Second was on her phone and failed for her own attention, she never once kept her eyes on the road or on me for longer than 3 seconds. Constantly texting and not giving any information, just driving straight. Extremely poor service and bad establishment. DO NOT COME HERE. read more

I wanted post a review for an amazing driving instructor "Kay." My child unfortunately did not pass her first attempt with a different instructor. She was a little intimidated and very nervous - please know I'm not knocking this instructor as he was doing his job. Our children must earn the right to drive. Back to Kay...Kay's positive energy was infectious as she basically told my daughter she believed in her ability. That was all my kid needed to get on the road and deliver a flawless drivers test in the RAIN! Not sure who from the MVA reviews these Yelp reviews. Kay is a GEM and really puts a great name on the job. Simply put, Kay is a generous soul. She is patient and kind. MVA should recognize her talents with a spot bonus,promotion, etc. In our country's current state affairs, Kay is rare find. She is A beautiful thoughtful person. read more

I Love this area of town and the backroads drive to this MVA is very beautiful. The staff at this MVA are strictly business get you in and out. I live in Randallstown and prefer this one always. Way to go MVA of Westminster your professional ism is much appreciated read more

I would give it negative stars if I could. Today I had to get one of my family members removed from my title. The woman who was "helping" us was an absolute nightmare. She was so rude and disrespectful, talked to my grandmother and I as if we were 2 years old then anytime we asked to repeat what she said (she mumbled the ENTIRE time) she got a nasty attitude. I know the DMV sucks in general but this was over the top disgusting behavior. Never returning to this location. read more

I wanted to write a review for one of the driving instructors, her name is Kay. I had taken the driver's skill test a few times and failed, so I was quite nervous when I went in today. But Kay was AWESOME! She reassured me, reminded me to breathe, and told me to only look forward, to forget about the tests I failed. She's one of the nicest people I've met, she encouraged me during the whole test and I passed! In a world like this, we need more people like her. She was so sweet and made me feel comfortable the whole time. read more

I was sent an email a couple months back about getting the new Maryland Real ID/ license. Although you can walk in and take care of this you can also make an appointment online. This is highly recommend! When I got there at 11:15 there were at least 30 people in line. However, if you made an appointment there was no line. There was one person ahead of me and he was checked in within 2 minutes. Once I got up the clerk checked in my documents, gave me my number and told me to listen out for it. I waited for about 5 minutes before I was called. The whole process from start to finish took about 15 minutes and I was outta there. So the moral of this story is to make your appointment online and save yourself time and frustration read more

No stars if I could give it...the worse. Despise going here. Avoid at all costs and do whatever you can online.

More like negative 100. Literally the rudest and most unprofessional location of them all. And I've been to most locations in my life. The rude, arrogant, power-tripper driving skills examiner needs to look for a new line of work not dealing with human beings much less nervous teenagers. Is it really too much to treat people with dignity and respect? No it is not. But I guess when you have low self esteem and are given the power to puff your chest out while training a trainee to also be rude and inaccurate on the law these things happen. She also needs to stop lecturing a lawyer on the actual law and take her 12th grade understanding of the law elsewhere. read more

The MVA opens promptly at 8:30 am and most people know to show up at around 8ish to form a line and wait for the doors to open. They close at 4:30 pm on weekdays, 12 noon on weekends and closed on Sundays. Normally, it is minimally busy but most things get processed in a somewhat timely manner. I enjoy being here at the most 2 hours, though it hasn't ever been that long for me. Most licensing items can be taken care of in about an hour. The staff is helpful if you have questions about what to do, where to wait in line or what documents to have available. When driving down the boulevard to find this MVA you could miss it. If you see signs for the MD state police, you've found the place. I guess they figure have the MVA next to the police station in case angry people that failed a driving test or can't get the proper documentation may need some reassurance of the law. Anyhoooo...like any other MVA, you go to the front desk and state your reason for being there. The clerk gives you a letter/number and you wait for you're ticket to be called over the loud speaker or the monitor for the hearing impaired. I'm not going to guarantee that everyone will have a quick and enjoyable experience at the MVA, but I know for sure the earlier you get there the better off you'll be. Lunch time and after may be a hassle for some. The following link will tell you the location, services of the MVA, hours of operation and more: http://www.mva.maryland.gov/Hours-Locations/carrollcounty.htm Go get that documentation baby! read more

Motor Vehicle Administration - Waiting area, lobby - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Westminster, Maryland

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Let's just start by saying I've had nothing but horrible experiences with the MVA (I've recently moved from Virginia and they are va's equivalent to the dmv) no one likes the dmv but they are heaven compared to hell with the MVA being the latter. I would give the MVA -10 stars if I could. After getting a fast pass from the manager Friday, he specifically told me I could skip the lines and come straight to him. I show the lady at the front desk my fast pass and ask to see him, instead she makes me wait in line at the kiosk. The kiosk lady was not helpful at all. It was asking me questions and I would ask her what they meant and she wouldn't answer or try or care. Finally get to the end and it doesn't accept a split payment. So they make me get back in line at the front counter and then give me a new number to wait in line again to be helped. The so called "fast pass" to skip the lines, was useless as I ended up waiting in lines 3x (including the normal big line) They told me people with fast passes skip ahead a little bit but I don't feel that was the case bc I still waited in line for a long time and it definitely wasn't how the manager told me I could come straight to him (he said he would be here today and of course wasn't) And all of this was at the Westminster MVA and they have a reputation by the locals as being one of the better MVA's. The first one I went to was the one in reistertown and I was almost robbed by like 5 people in the parking lot (asking for "quarters", which is a scam to get you to get your wallet out so they can mug you and run real fast) I will be giving them a horrible review too as that front desk lady gave out wrong information and had zero customer service skills. She had said for ID purposes I had to bring a passport, a license, my social, proof of residency (bills) etc, to which I replied you mean some of the above, mix and match sort of thing, and she had said you need ALL of them... later I got thinking not everyone even owns a passport... lol. So as bad as the one in Westminster is remember it's one of the better ones compared to the ones in other cities. At least here you won't get robbed in the parking lot. So yeah it took my 4 trips to get my stupid sticker on my license plates. All bc of wrong information and horrible customer service by both MVA's. And what should have been an easy and done with it final time skip the lines and come straight to the manager, ended up a nightmare waiting in line 3 times... The MVA needs to fire incompetent, unfriendly, employees ASAP and get the rest good customer service training. I've heard several people tell me recently (I'm assuming as a joke) on the MVA's application it asks you if you like or love your life and if you say yes they won't hire you. Only those who hate their lives and don't care about anything. While this is obviously a joke (hopefully) it appears to be very true, as it reflects exactly my experiences with them. read more

Motor Vehicle Administration - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Westminster, Maryland

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Made an appointment. Showed up a few minutes early. Checked in right away. Sat for two minutes and was called for my appointment. In and out in about ten minutes and only a few minutes after my actual appointment time. Much better experience than seems normal. read more

driving instructor couldn't give clear directions during the driving skills test and then walks away when I'm asking questions

during my test the cones weren't setup as a regular parking spot they didn have any lines like a regular parking space to distance the cones. I don't recommend taking your test here because of the lack of tools they have.! read more

As I sit here at MVA in Westminster wondering how this computer and the main one in Glen Burnie are showing different stuff about my license. I'm getting more angry by the moment.truly our tax dollars at work.Pissed. read more

This is the smallest MVA that I have been to...with that said, however, I don't make it a thing to visit all the MVA's in the state. The service is friendlier than the other MVA's that I am used to and because this center services less people, it feels faster. read more

Redefining Purgatory Time. There should be special "anti-star" warnings reserved for this type of torture. Like a Dalek icon, or a Blaster from Z Nation. Or a Borg Captain Picard. Not only is this a complete waste of timey-wimey, it will leave you feeling wibbly-wobbly & exhausted, mentally & physically. Be prepared for loooooong waits, smelly, unwashed masses, & miserable staff who are gruff & patronizing (front desk); ignorant & condescending (1st License desk); or clueless & yes, condescending (2nd License desk). If you are not rejected the 1st day by the grumpy information desk curmudgeon, who sent us home insisting our documents "don't look right" (do not pass go, err, info....) , you may be inclined to believe it's your lucky day. Well, There is no good luck at this MVA, so abandon all hope ye who enter here! Come back & Queue at Info again, then Queue in the back to get a number on a slip of paper (DON'T LOSE IT!), try to find a place to sit, & then the REAL waiting begins. They quite literally kept us waiting for several hours, took my $$, & still did NOT give us the ID! Had to WAIT 8-10 Business Days for them mail the actual license. (They had never seen our special millennial b.c. & had to forward the application to Glen Burnie, since they wouldn't believe it was real!) They never admitted any of this, of course, but instead left us waiting, wondering, & worrying. Oh, & privacy is a joke, they were passing our paperwork around among the employees, hollering across the packed Lobby at each other "have you ever seen anything like this?!?" to the point we were getting sympathetic looks & weird stares from other customers. This place makes traffic court seem like a spa day! The automated kiosk, however, was the antithesis of its human counterparts. It was polite, competent & quick. When it took my $$, it actually thanked me. Yes the fees were still painfully steep, but at least the kiosk left me feeling a sense of relief & satisfaction. The desk employees made me regret being a member of the human race. If you can complete your transactions w/ the friendly, efficient kiosk, your wait will be much, much shorter. (There is still another queue for the solitary Kiosk machine.) If, however, you require the assistance of a human employee, bring snacks, strap on some ear buds,& leave all small children, sharp objects, your pride & hopes for accomplishing anything else that day at home. Dante's Inferno got nothin' on this joint. Welcome to Limbo. read more

Ok, I never thought I'd write a review (let alone a positive review) for the MVA, but I just have to say Westminster's location does it right. They have you come in to the information desk to confirm that you have what you need before having you take a number a wait. If every location did this, it would save so much aggravation. It turned out I didn't have the right documents, but the man behind the desk (nice gentleman with grey hair) was very helpful, showed me exactly what I needed and how to get it and was so polite. I live in Baltimore City and I will definitely be coming back here tomorrow to finish what I needed to get done. Thanks for making what is typically not a pleasant experience as pleasant as possible! read more

I never got my renewed license through the mail so I called the MVA and they told me to go to my local MVA. I've been here before, and the employees are very courteous from my past experience. When I get there, they wanted me to get it replaced with my own money. I thought that was very unreasonable because I'm paying twice and asked to provide proof that my license was delivered to my place of residence and if it did, then I'd be happy to pay. Next thing I know, the employee's supervisor intrudes and she loudly says "m'am calm down." I was so confused and told her I am calm and I have no idea why she thinks that. Then I saw that her eyes were looking at something behind me. I turned around and it's a state trooper at the front. I was shocked how she manipulated the situation to make it seem like I'm being hostile when I wasn't at all. I couldn't believe it. I've never been treated that way before. Whenever retailers apologize about their computer being slow or something out of their control, I never blame them and always say no worries. I don't get mad because I've worked as a retailer before so I completely understand how customers can be. Because of this, I like to be understanding and respectful to them. Since it was turning to a situation where she obviously was escalating it to make me look like the bad guy and get the state trooper involved, I told her, "fine I'll pay" to de-escalate it. And then she had to have the last say. I just shook my head and facepalmed. That moment was one of the few times in my life I've ever felt so humiliated and to this day I wished I had made a complaint and had walked out. Edit: This was back in March 2014. Below I saw a review from something that happened in April 2014. I wouldn't be surprised if the manager was the same one I wrote about. read more

I would typically expect a great deal of bureaucracy at this type of institution. However, I was especially disturbed when I witnessed the manager of this MVA (i.e. she said she was the manager) lock the doors on an elderly lady who, according to my timepiece showed up before closing time--this happened on 4/3/2014. This DMV is scheduled to close at 4:30 pm and I was quite surprised to see an elderly woman turned away in this manner. read more

Alright Westminster MVA, I got a bone to pick with you guys. Just when you think you have faith in humanity, you get to have a driving test here. My kid took his first driver's test here, and I told him to be very polite to everyone at the MVA, because it's important to be respectful in these types of situation. Well, the MVA at Westminster sure showed me how wrong I was to try and be friendly with these people. I have no hindsight bias towards this MVA but the people there just put off a bad vibe. My son walked into get his driver assigned to him and the lady simply shrugged and told him to wait as he smiled and shook her hand. My son's instructor was a guy named Bill, seemed okay first off, but when he accidentally went over the line at a stop sign, which of course is an automatic failure, Bill acted very unprofessionally. No consolation or anything. He condescendingly tells my son to switch seats with him and they take the short drive back to me where I'm waiting on a bench for him. I ask "what happened" and he simply responds (without even looking over to give me eye contact): "He ran a stop sign" and then sighs like my son is the kid he wished he never had, and walks back around away from me. My son was very distraught afterwards. I know he was really looking forward to getting his license and he rightfully didn't get it that time, but he put a lot of hours and practice into trying for it and we tried to be as polite and friendly towards Bill the MVA driving instructor as we could be. I do not appreciate it when another ADULT acts rudely towards me or especially my own kid. I do not want anyone to undermine my kid's progress or be treated poorly for his failures. Bill, as well as the rest of the Westminster MVA, as adults you need to respect EVERYONE who comes in to be serviced by you. My son ended up passing his test in Gaithersburg and there was a stark contrast in demeanor and manners between them and you all. To Bill and all the rude, unhappy who works at the Westminster MVA, I urge you to take a hint from Gaithersburg MVA and treat people like people and not like trash. You all need to act like adults and set a good example for the up and coming young adults that may be trying to get their driver's licenses from you. Rob H. read more

The line outside is just as long as Glen Burnie but it moves much quicker. I have visited this place several times and only have poor service once. read more

nicest cleanest MVA I have ever been too. I almost don't want anyone to know about this place because I am scared all the "trash" will start coming here and ruining it read more

I waited for at least an hour and so did my husband. We went on separate days, but both of us waited while the person renewing licenses went on a half hour break and no one stepped in to assist. I am coming from Baltimore City and it is shocking to me that this MVA is more poorly run. Very frustrating. read more

I wish I could give this MVA zero stars. I just turned 21 recently and with the new laws in effect April 1st you are encouraged to do your renewal online or at a kiosk if you are under 40. However, with this system you do not get a new license picture. I look significantly different than I did when I was 16; I have lost weight, changed hair colors and my hair is longer. I told the man at the desk that I had called Glen Burnie's office and they said that if you have lost weight you need to get a new picture. I told the man at the desk and he shook is head rapidly and kept pointing to the kiosk, not even looking at my old license picture to see how different I look. He then proceeded to talk to the man behind me because the man behind me in line made a rude comment and they began making fun of me and laughing at the fact that I wanted a new picture. I thought it was completely unprofessional and rude. I understand they have to abide by the laws of the state but he was disrespectful and was not listening to me. He made the comment, "Every 16 year old looks different from when they're 21!" My response was "Exactly...so why do I have to keep my 16 year old picture ID until I'm 40." I even offered to pay an additional fee to get my license picture taken and done there, but alas, he still would not listen to me. I hated my experience here. They've ruined everyone's 21st birthday. The kiosk was confusing and now I have to wait two weeks for my license to show up in the mail with my 16 yr old picture on it. read more