Long Lines at the DMV Have Some Sleeping While They Wait For Appointments

If you need a new license or to get yours renewed, you may have to grab yourself a sleeping bag. Waits at DMV offices have gotten so long, people are sleeping outside hoping to snag a same-day appointment.

Appointments can also be made online in advance, but some of the soonest spots are still a few months out. This wait could mean trouble for anyone driving around with an invalid license.

Dallas resident Candace Yvonne Miller is trying to get a new license after not having one for a while. First, she had to obtain a learner’s permit and take the driver’s test all over again. Then, she checked the website daily. She also tried to grab a walk-up appointment at one DMV office, but they turned her away.

She heard about people camping out to get a spot, but that wasn’t an option for her because she takes care of her disabled husband. Miller’s husband had a stoke not too long ago, and she recently had a surprise brain surgery. “I’m trying to get back on track, but the state sure does not make it easy,” Miller said.

Eventually, she was able to schedule an appointment online. Miller said her final appointment to get her driver’s license is next month. Until then, she’ll have to use DART to get around.

Some waiting in lines at DMVs told NBC they showed up early for several days before they could get a same day appointment. One person in line told NBC, “This is the third time I think I’m coming here. There are times we’ve come here and had to go back because the line was so big, we knew we couldn’t be taken in for that day.”

Much of this is the pandemic’s fault. DMV offices shuttered for months to slow the spread of the coronavirus and are now only seeing people by appointment. However, walk-up appointments are available if other scheduled appointments get canceled. People turn up as early as 2 a.m. hoping to get one of these spots. Some bring lawn chairs. Others bring sleeping bags to nap in while they’re in line.

While some camp out to try to grab a same day spot, others, about 28%, just aren’t showing up to their appointments, according to the Department of Public Safety. This also contributes to the backlog at DMV offices.

Work weeks and business hours were extended at DMV offices to help chip away at the backlog, but the problem persists.

The Department of Public Safety added a section on its website that lists wait times for appointments and the numbers aren’t promising.

If you’re trying to get your first Texas license, it could be about 81 days before an appointment is available at the Carrollton Mega Center. For a renewal or replacement, you’ll have to wait about 19 days before an appointment is available. That wait is almost cut in half at the Dallas South Mega center, but you’ll still be waiting about a month and a half for an appointment for an original license.

“We understand some customers are having to book appointments weeks, or months, out due to limited availability,” DPS said in a statement. “We understand the frustration of having to wait, and we encourage people to check availability at numerous locations, as well as check back often to see if appointments have opened up at their location of choice.”