***3.5 STARS*** I recently had to renew my car registration as the kiosk at Safeway in Kaneohe was giving my error messages. I decided to go to a Satellite City Hall (SCH) and chose this location that's just next door to Costco Gas Station in Iwilei. This was my first time at this location and it was sure busy just before arrival during lunchtime on a Tuesday. Lucked out with a parking stall as someone had just left the premises and I scored one that was near the entrance to SCH. As I entered the door there was a large screen TV display of numbers awaiting to be serviced and a cheerful and welcoming female staff who asked you the reason for your visit. For car registration I was advised to go to the end of the room on the right hand side where there was about 5 people in queue. While waiting patiently, I studied another large screen TV on the wall that had people who had made appointments were waiting to be serviced. NOTE: Regardless the staff is sitting down at an open window, you need to wait until you are called. Don't be like the male in front of me who walked up to the window after someone left. The staff told this male 2x he had to wait until being called. I was assisted by 2 different staff as the first one wasn't familiar with electronic vehicle license plates. She struggled and went to her superior who eventually told me to go to her window when she was available. Customer service at the counter was at a bare minimal - - robotic with no personality. I paid for my registration and received my receipt and sticker. Leaving the parking lot was a nightmare. There was only one exit and one staff who collected payment. Not to mention the heavy car traffic on Alakawa St so it took some time just to leave the lot. This explains the long line of cars waiting to leave SCH. Overall, this SCH got the job done but it was challenging with the heavy foot traffic of this convenient downtown location. May have been better if I drove to Hawaii Kai SCH as my visits there were more pleasant, less crowded and less stressful. read more

Customer service was bad. They had made a clerical error and put my car set as being "in storage". So when I tried to pay for my registration they said I couldn't and had to get to get new license plates. No effort to help or change their error. The person just ignored what I explained and said i needed to make an appointment for later to get new plates. I needed to have friends with the right contacts send an email to the head of the dmv to change their error status back so I could finally pay. Imagine I wasn't lucky to personally know someone?!? Then you basically can only jump through their hoops. read more

Appt made using AlohaQ 8am...showed up 8am one satellite city hall with TWO separate offices... FIRST private security guard with an attitude says we have to go to other side of office but we were already told from that side to go to this side of office. Security Guard was Rude and unprofessional with an Attitude early morning. Trying to check in at front desk, the clerk hands me STANDBY TICKET...told by clerk we made the wrong appt so she hands me STANDBY TICKET...been sitting in waiting area for over 3 1/2 hours now...MOST customers came in after us left before us with in 15-30 mins, SO WHY did Clerk did Not offer to Pull NEW TICKET and we would have been DONE in 15-30mins. ALOHA-Q is ALOHA DISASTER! read more

With the exception of informing those waiting clearly, everything went exceptionally well. The process, once in the door, was quick considering the number of people that were there. read more

Avoid City Haul County - 925 Dillingham Blvd, Honolulu, HI 96817 Poor Service This location should be avoided at all costs. The staff are unhelpful, lack knowledge, and have poor English communication skills. They struggle to answer even basic questions, and at times, it feels like they pretend not to understand to rush customers out the door. While waiting in line, I saw several other frustrated customers dealing with the same employee. From the moment you walk in, you aren't treated like a resident or a customer -- you're treated as an inconvenience and extra work. This was such a poor experience that I will never return. Do yourself a favor and visit a different location -- your time and patience will thank you. read more

Kapālama Satellite City Hall is conveniently located in Honolulu, next Bank of Hawaii and Costco. Due to high volume of visitors, it's best to make an appointment with AlohaQ reservations system either online or at this location. I was greeted by a staff member, and waited patiently till I got called. When I was serviced, and you have every thing that is needed, I was in and out, just like that. Downside is that the parking is not free, but they do validate. read more

I've never written a review for anything before until now. This is quite literally the kind of DMV they talk about in shows of how terrible the experience is, it's almost laughable. The people at the check in desk were unhelpful and wasted my time by telling me to come back in an hour after being told my documentation wasn't acceptable because it was for the month after the current one (you would think this proves current residency). After grabbing mail that specifically had to be within the current month, an hour later, they told me I wasn't going to be able to get in. The only reason I'm giving it some stars at all is because the parking attendant at the gate was very nice. read more

Takes 30 mins to get out of the parking lot and charges everyone in line an additional hour. Total scam!

Brutal... just brutal. We had an appointment at 11:24am for a Driver's Permit test that was scheduled months ago. I thought that my son's 4 hour break from school was ample enough time. That's a big, fat NO... with 17 windows, only 3-4 were open in the 3 hours that I've been here. Staff is nice, but this is simply unacceptable. If you know you're low staffed, then don't accept do many appointments... It's hard to be upset with the facility as it is a necessity and the staff is really nice... bottom line, even with an appointment, do block off half of your day! read more

Satellite City Hall - Tons of people waiting - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

We came in for our out of state registration to transfer to HI, the lady the checked us IN was very rude. Not sure if she's just having a bad day, but the way she treat elder couple was very unprofessional. It's ironic that they have the "service beyond expectation" sign on the lobby. They need to train their staff from ground up how to treat other people nicely. read more

This location is a pretty terrible place to get to these days. When you're coming here from Chinatown via Dillingham Blvd, you're dealing with the construction going on in the area, as well as making the same left turn as all the other people turning to get to the Costco gas station. There are constantly people needing to get into the lane you're in, which is already backed up as it is due to the stoplights. So up to you if you want to be nice to let these people in, especially after you've made the initiative to get in the lane sooner and waited in line like everybody else. You could maybe opt to come in from the makai side on Alakawa Street, but then that means you'll have to cross oncoming traffic to make the left turn into the parking lot. To get your driver's license or state ID, you need to make an appointment, weeks in advance. As I sit here with a 11:30ish appointment, they are already an hour behind and we're 5+ still down the list, still waiting for our turn. So don't expect to get out on time, I would not recommend planning anything immediately after, cuz who knows how long it will take. There is paid parking. Make sure you have enough, it's currently taking us more than an hour and who knows much longer. Reasons why this place doesn't get a flat one-star rating: there seems to be ample parking (even if you have to pay for it), there is a person at the front who checks people in, they're patient dealing with all these people, making sure you have your documents and application form before you go waste your time sitting around for an hour plus. There are seats in the waiting are. Though, not enough apparently, there are people standing and sitting on the floor. So yeah, it was high expectations for me to think the City got it together organized and efficiently making use of people's time. read more

Satellite City Hall - Screen showing where you are on the list, waiting for your reservation number to be called. - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Your tax dollars at work and an upgraded high-tech facility with TV screens and soccer games on the TV make an appointment concierge hostess only thing they need is a coffee shop read more

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Serious thought they got more organized from the move to this location. No trouble when I would go to the dmv or car registration & for my placard. This month I had to finally renew my drivers license because its gonna expire on my Birthday this month so I thought making an appointment would be way faster & smooth.....BUT I guess not. I made an appointment during the week day but no matter what it'll always be busy. I went in maybe 10-20 min before my appointment to fill out papers & get everything set. When my time came I was still on the bottom of the second roll. When 20min passed I went up to the front where they have employees helping people figure out where & what to do. I kindly asked them that my appointment passed & my # wasnt called. She told me "Sorry but we're short staff right now so we're backed up on scheduled appointments. I was pissed off, its like for nothing I even made appointment. I had to was about an hour but after that everything qent by fast. But common dmv. If you guys are always busy EVERYDAY PLEASE think & have enough employees. TO EVERYONE WHO NEEDS TO GO....MAKE AN APPOINTMENT. read more

Here since 5:30am, doors open @8am. Took my road test for the first time... got my license! Chheeee! Besides one of the most happiest aspects of my life today, the wait was quiet but pretty ridiculous for walk in appointments... I know, we all have our stories and we don't need to hear them "I was here since 3" blah blah blah. 8am A Chinese lady and Filipino man were bickering who was in line first I thought it was funny but this is the outcome for waiting this long. Another guy was frustrated because he couldn't take his road test today... he was not accompanied with his friend/designated driver 21+ present when it was his turn to the next available window. Believe it or not, when you make walk in appointments ESPECIALLY to the DMV, chances are that it's a gamble of whether you get to take a road test or not. And chances are 1 in 5 road test takers (like me) get their license within their first try. Note to self: -booked appointments- always go on their DMV website if you'd like to schedule a booked appointment -walk-in appointments- *wear something comfy, and Bring a jacket if you plan to arrive super early Make sure you go early, eat prior, come PREPARED with: A) Permit B) accompanied by a designated driver age 21+ 1. & their personal license (they could be anyone; friend, family, stranger AHA) C) designated driver must provide the following information 1. Vehicle insurance 2. Vehicle registration 3. Drivers license D) Make sure that vehicle you will be driving with is *inspected* prior to taking the road test. - the Examiner WILL check the following: A) Signal lights (front & back) B) Car horn C) Windows D) Cleanliness Follow ALL traffic laws! -stay off the bike lane -don't speed excessively -learn the roads -make a complete stop when there's a stop sign -Always fricken signal ... bumbye... -practice your parallel parking And if you DO pass the road test, com prepared with a total of $28 dollars. You will pay $8 before taking the test, and if you pass, you will pay $20 for your temporary license. The hard material license card will be mailed in about 2 weeks. Good luck! read more

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Almost every Satellite City Hall is a headache to go to because there always seems to be an abundance of people and there are never enough staff members to fill all the windows. This is one of them. The only difference is that you don't need to stand in line for hours. This Satellite City Hall is an upgrade from the previous location. There are two check-in kiosks where you enter your last name and what you are there for, and you receive a ticket that indicated your estimated time, which is typically later. There are chairs all around where you can sit and wait. Or you can go out and return when it's close to your time. The only problem is if you don't return when your number is called, you will need to get another number and wait again. Yes, this happened to me. I couldn't return fast enough, and I missed my number by a few numbers. I just waited there the second time, and I noticed there are a lot of no-shows when the number is called (like me). There's an Express Window where you don't even need to grab a number, and you can just head over to the far end window. This is specifically for Car registrations renewals and copies, bus pass, water bill, property tax, picnic permit pickup (say that three times fast), notice of transfer drop off, and form pick ups, information, and referrals. This line can build up though. The only problem with here is they are super short staffed, or they are very lazy. There are TEN windows with only two open, and 100+ people waiting. I see some that are just walking around in the back not doing much, and all of them work at a very slow pace. Make haste! Overall, I like the cleanliness and newness of this Satellite City Hall, the amount of parking, the check-in kiosks, and the express window. But the wait is still there. read more

Satellite City Hall - Where is the staff? - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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Personnel at Kapalama Satellite City Hall was polite and friendly! Thank you for your service

During this Pandemic, we had to make an appointment. It was made 3 months ago. They had a tent outside and 2 employees checking everyone before they went in. They were both very kind and patient with all of the people who asked questions. Our appointment was 3:15 for the written test. We got there early and they were taking people in for their appointments 2:30, 2:45 and so forth. They were very efficient and even helping us at the window to make sure all of the paperwork was done in time to start the test by 3:30 pm. Mahalo for the lady greeting us outside. To the Hawaiian Man with the glasses helping with the written test. And the nice man at Window 14 who got all the paperwork done so very fast. I have to say the entire experience was the best I've ever had while taking my kids to the get their permits. Glad we made the trip from Kapolei to Kapalama. Mahalo! read more

This location is probably one of the most convenient and centrally located Satellite City Halls. Right across the street from Costco Iwilei, you can't miss it! The people here are very helpful and friendly. Knocking off a star since it can get real busy during certain times and sometimes just getting out of the parking lot is a challenge since cars are whizzing by quickly. read more

This new location and the new AlohaQ system is a significant improvement. Made the appointment over a month ago. Immediate text message confirmation. N-1 week reminder. N-1 day reminder. Day-of step by step notifications matching the in-office p.a. system and queue monitor. From appointment time to done: 30 minutes, spreaded over 3 windows, no standing in line for any of them. No drama in sight, no yelling no argument. Good job! Parking was okay. Not as numerous as I thought but good enough since people are leaving constantly. read more

Satellite City Hall - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

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The experience with this DMV is an absolute breeze compared to what I was subjected to growing up and living in CA. I made my appointment about 2 weeks out, showed up about 15 minutes early, and was greeted by a friendly lady outside who escorted me in to the "line." I waited maybe 30 seconds before being called up to one of the desks. I had all my paperwork ready and we were cruising through things until, unfortunately, they did not have the weight for 2021 4Runners on file. Thus, I had to go get my car weighed and I was offered to come back the same day around 3:30. I could not make it back then as I had to be back to work, so the woman helping me said I would come right back and she would accommodate me. After getting my car weighed and returning, the lady helping me was supposed to go to lunch and I was about to be out of luck. But then she decided to process my registration rather than getting to her lunch, and I think unfortunately may have sacrificed some of her break time. As bad as I felt, I really had no other option and it was SO generous of her to help me. This local hero was named CJ, and in addition to generously helping me into her lunch break she could not have been more friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Due to my past experiences at DMV's (in other states), I never would have thought I would be leaving a 5-star yelp review for the Department of Motor Vehicles. Thanks to CJ for turning my outlook on the DMV around! read more

I just brought a used car from a private owner. I was not sure of the process to change the title and registration over. I went into the dmv and the bald lady at the front asked what was I coming in for. I said to get a registration for my car. She said ok go to the express window. I went to the window and explained what I needed , the nice woman at the window told me she couldn't help me so I would need to make an appointment. I made an appointment for a few days later. I walked in to my appointment, before I can get in good the bald lady asked with an aggressive tone what's the last for digits of my phone number. My phone number was next in line on the board. I gave her the number then she aggressively asked what am I here for . I said a registration a title I'm not for sure what exactly the process was. She started to get louder and say how can I help you if I don't know what you're here for . Being that I was pretty much next in line, I felt it shouldn't had mattered to her what I'm there for. She seen my last 4 digits of my number on the board ..So apparently I had an appointment for window service and not to see the greeter (her). Then she started to mumble under her breath. I said it's fine I'm going to report you to someone then she changed her attitude and started greeting guest coming and leaving much more kinder. A few minutes later I was called to the window . I believe the guy name was Tanaka. He was the kindest customer service worker I had ever seen in my life. I told him I wasn't sure how the process worked. He took his time and explained everything to me. He even gave me a chance to read over everything and he made sure that I understood everything before I left . My trip to the dmv started off as 1 star.. his kindness and helpfulness is the reason for this 4 star review. If it was left up to the greeter lady this dmv branch would have gotten 1 star and that would have been for quick service. Not to mention she told everyone leaving out to have a good day.. it didn't hurt my feelings because I actually had an awesome day . read more

Signed up for my appointment online. I went to the wrong parking lot, ended up being late my time and had to grab a new ticket. Originally the timer says it's only 20 minutes. Then I continued to get bumped by random numbers that don't align with our ticket numbers. I'm pretty frustrated with this location. One plus is that there is a staff member trying to help out people by walking around and making sure people are in the right line and they have all the necessary forms. Minus being near Costco and being somewhat newer. I can't recommend this location unless you know someone that works there, so you can get to the front of the line. read more

This was the best of the best of my DMV visits in 3 states in nearly six decades. IF you have your exact ORIGINAL documents, EXACTLY as described in their materials, AND have made an on line appointment months in advance, and ARE ON TIME... I was in and out in 28 minutes with my new license. A clean, well organized, truly customer friendly operation. And there's a guarded ample parking lot. Kudos to the manager and clerks, and even the police officer totally engaged with every person coming through the door and constantly scanning the customer waiting area. Mahalo to all of you. And stink eye to those of you throwing a hissy fit about "lousy service" only because you didn't follow the above basic rules. The purpose of the "Star" embossed new cards is to finally comply with a Federal Homeland Security law enacted after 9/11. It means that the person holding that card has proven and produced documents to prove their identity, right to be on U.S. soil, exact residence address, fingerprint match or first time registration, etc. It ain't the old style da kine of ok. read more

1. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT!! Don't just head down there expecting it to be fast. ALWAYS go the website to make an appt or get a ticket there. Appts sometimes are months in advance, but I think if someone cancels one will open up. 2. Make sure you have ALL your paperwork! Don't guess, the website even goes through all the paperwork needed I had to get my driver's license renewed so I had headed over to the HK SCH and they told me people were in line since 5am (They open at 8) and even if i had a ticket, I would not get seen today. They told me to go online and make an appt, is the easiest way. Just a note, before this, I went online on their site and got ALL the paperwork I need to renew my license. http://honolulu.gov/license https://www2.honolulu.gov/documentguide/ They had told me the next available appt was in august, but when I went online I could get an appt at the Dillingham SCH the next week! I think someone cancelled their appt and I was lucky enough to be looking at that time. So if you don't see an appt available, you can also get a number online, or keep refreshing every so often to see if the appt button pops up. Anyway, went down there ahead of time, they checked my documents, I waited for about 10-15 minutes, got called, got everything done and was out of there. As long as you make an appt or get your number online, I think everything will go smoothly. The place looks like people were waiting for quite a while..I walked in and was done in half hour! read more

Woww.. So high tech! So when you walk in, there are check in kiosks where you grab your number. Then there's a seating area with a TV and separate monitor that displays the number and window number that's called. Definitely a big upgrade from the previous location. It's a lot brighter, cleaner, and nicer. I was in and out in under an hour for my license renewal. Yay for the upgrades for efficiency! The parking lot is the turn after the turn to go to the building. And when you're leaving the parking lot, it's right turn only. I don't dread going to Satellite City Hall anymore. read more

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I had to stand in line twice because my safety check was expired so i had to get that done first. When I came back I had to stand in line again but I have to say both times the line went fairly fast because there were four people at the counter. I like when the lady opens the door and makes everyone que up before you enter according to who was there first. You can't just roll in like its Black Frday. The people are nice here but I hate coming here if you know what I mean. Its hard for me to pay over $400.00 to register my truck when the roads are just f#%£ing insane to drive on. Anyway, Im just glad its Friday :) read more

They've recently remodeled and made the process more efficient. We had an 0830 appt and was walking out at 0854. One of the best improvements was changing their walk-ins to a number system. So no more standing in line. You get a number and sit down to wait. DMV always sucks, but this one wasn't bad at all. read more

The lady with short hair and a pink and black shirt helping the front today was so rude. I was literally just asking and making sure my walk In time for an ID was correct and all I got was constant eye rolls, condescending tone and "appointments go first". No shit Sherlock that's not what I was asking. As I stated, I know the reservations were booked til the 20th. I just wanted to make sure the wait time was actually 5 hours. Next time I'll treat you with the same respect you gave me,instead of my nice voice- NONE. read more

The asian lady with the colored contact lenses taking the pictures was very rude to a nice elderly couple...shame on her. 5 stars for the parking lot attendant for his friendly service. read more

The plants in the lobby are dying at Kapalama Hale. It's a sign!!! Take a number at the kiosk if you neglected to make an appointment online before going here. There is a sweet old guy working as a concierge who will check you in or send you to the express line. I'm into my second hour on the hard bench in the freezing AC. I made friends with the folks to my right and left, but their numbers were called already. Don't come at lunch since the workers leave their windows and maybe one person gets called in 30 minutes. Also, DON'T come at the end of the month like I had to do. read more

Satellite City Hall - Seats and check in kiosks. - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Very small near Chinatown doesn't have all services like Residence and other issues. Good location and useful for license renewal and other driving requirements, but going to a main DMV is unfortunately your best bet. Go early or plan on staying late. read more

I love how we can set up appointments now! Elaine was a kind lady helping me transfer titles today. She was very prompt and informative. Unlike my most experience Elaine was friendly and I appreciate it so much. Also the two ladies checking in was wonderful. Sanitizers was available upon arrival. Parking was $2.50 so bring cash read more

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! Even if you do come in with all the correct paperwork, applications and payment you'll still have to wait in about 4 different lines and it WILL take you AT LEAST 3 hours before you get out of there. I went in without an appointment to transfer my license from out of state and it took me 3 hours of waiting to a ratio of about 10 minutes total with anyone of the clerks. It wasn't until the last clerk was nearly about to send me on my way when she said "and of course you can make an appointment with us at 'Aloha Q.gov'. -_- So MAKE AN APPOINTMENT! Google AlohaQ and set up from there is so easy. The second time I went in I made an appointment and I waited for 5 minutes, they called me at exactly my scheduled time. I surpassed all the lines and I was out of there in 20 minutes! So if you move here and need to transfer your license bring all the paperwork, make an appointment, be there on time. read more

I made an appointment via AlohaQ for this afternoon (I did have to wait about a month.). I was impressed at the speed and efficiency of this office. I was transferring my out of state license to Hawaii and came in with more paperwork than was required, but it was surprisingly easy and efficient. I have a difficult time passing the DMV vision screening test so I obtained a vision certificate from an optometrist and they accepted it without a problem. I arrived at 2 pm for my 2:10 appointment and was out the door at 2:30 with my temporary driver's license. This experience was 180 degrees different from my prior experience at the Kaneohe office. read more

I paid my car off so I had to go to SCH to have them take the bank off as lien holder. I hate going to the SCH for anything. Anything. Once you walk in, there is a kiosk to sign in and a number is assigned along with a wait time. There was a guy there greeting people, asking what they were there for and already punching in the kiosk to give u a number. He did not look like he worked there and I asked if he did. He said he "did" and was helping out. Idk. He gave me a number, said to go to the express line, but that they're calling numbers fast as he wasn't sure where to put me. Well, express line wasn't it. And the lady at the counter was snippy. Lady, aint no one is loving to come here, so you don't have to make it any worse. It's like they're the controllers of the universe. She told me I told me I had to wait in line. Well, inform the weirdo at the front to either get educated or kick him out as that's where he sent me. Luckily I had that number. The number gave me a 3 minute wait time. In actuality it was 15. When I got called, I had a different lady, but almost the same enthusiasm. I think she was worried about breaking one of her manicured nails as she typed my info. Thank goodness it didn't take long. As modernized as that place has become, the only thing modern is the sign-in kiosk. Everything else, including the passé attitudes are the same. read more

Wow, what a difference a new location can make! I always dread going to to get my driver's license renewed or replacing my license. Now I dread it not as much. The DMV has upgraded their systems a bit and now you're given a number and can track an approximate amount of time that it may take for your turn will come. So, in the meantime you can go off and do some other things if you're quick. A quick stop for gas at Costco, food from Costco's food court, or a fast trip to Best Buy can be in order. Parking is to the left of the building. There are many stalls available, which is a plus. read more

The Asian lady with long straight hair, and a black glasses on the express window was purposely not calling us over when she was done with her customer. At first we thought she needs to finish up what was left over but NO! After she was done with her 'paper works' she went out to grab a guy and start helping him at her counter. The other guy staff next to her needs to go on break and questioned her that she was supposed to help us who is next in line, all I saw was her 'awkward' face and said yeah. And the staff ( not from the express window) next to her looked at her too when the line started growing then she called us over, I appreciate that staff for her brilliant decision and she was really nice. Apparently, the staffs from her left and right don't know what the heck she was doing and where that guy customer she brought was from. We waited for a longer time than expected, almost exceed the 1/2hr grace period that we need to pay for parking! read more

Fourth time back here TODAY absolutely stupid service lady sent me to print documents that I didn't even need. Finally talked to the supervisor and what do you know, I'm all checked out n have everything I need to get my renewed ID. Gas wasted, Frustrated, time wasted, and 4.5 hours later, I finally get rid of my expired ID. #oahu #oahupeople read more

Satellite City Hall - List for documents required... - Departments of Motor Vehicles Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

Best experience here always, the only satellite city hall that I will go to! Booking your appointment ahead online here https://alohaq.honolulu.gov/?0 read more

I usually go always expecting a long line & wait. Went recently to get registration & safety check issues worked out. Walked in at 10:30 & had about 15 people in front of me. 10 minutes later I was half through the line & another had formed behind me. Finally a lady went to each person in line to help speed up the process ( check their paperwork, answer questions etc). That helped speed it up. 15 minutes total The next day I went in at the same time in the morning & I was 2nd in line. 5 minutes tops. No credit/debut cards accepted. Strictly cash & checks. read more