Miami DMV office extends hours, opens new windows in effort to reduce wait times – WSVN 7News | Miami News, Weather, Sports | Fort Lauderdale
Things are speeding up at Miami-Dade DMV locations. The county started weekend hours at the downtown office so now, you can go on Saturdays. We’ve learned other locations are also putting appointments in the fast lane. 7’s Heather Walker has today’s 7Investigates.
From mission impossible to possible — getting a driver’s license in Miami-Dade County is getting easier.
Worker on speaker: “Please proceed to number 28.”
Heather Walker: “I’m looking here and normally we would see just people sitting here for long hours, no movement, long line outside. But this morning we saw people being ushered in, moving.
Dariel Fernandez, Miami-Dade Tax Collector: “Yes every day, we attend more or less between 700 to 800 people.”
Miami-Dade Tax Collector, Dariel Fernandez, says that’s a new record. It’s almost double the number of people who where being served here — when the state was running the DMVs.
Dariel Fernandez: “This is the Miami Central Office. It’s the second one, largest office that we have here in Miami-Dade County.”
And the second location that the county has taken over since the switch about four months ago.
Dariel Fernandez: “So as you see, all the windows are full.”
There are 33 windows fully staffed. That is up from around 20 (windows).
Heather Walker: “I was just wondering how the process was for you.”
Kimberly, Miami-Dade DMV customer: “Super fast. I got here at 11:05 (a.m.) and, let’s see what time it is now, 11:25 (a.m.), so 20 minutes in and out.”
Heather Walker: “Wow!”
Kimberly: “Yeah. But I did have an appointment.”
But the county says – it is still playing catch-up – cleaning the mess left behind from the state and the old system that allowed people to book multiple appointments and post them for sale.
Dariel Fernandez: “It’s already stopped. If you do that, you are going to have consequences.”
Last week, Miami-Dade County put in place a $500 civil penalty and possible time behind bars for anyone caught selling appointments.
Fernandez tells us the new system won’t allow it to happen anymore.
Heather Walker: “So your message is you are watching everything?”
Dariel Fernandez: “Yes, we are watching everything.”
Fernandez says come summer time – these lines should start to disappear – and appointments should open back up. Making it a much smoother ride for drivers to get on the road.
Heather Walker, 7News.
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