Introduction
Today I’m going to discuss the fastest DMVs in Miami. Like most of you there’s going to be a time where you actually need to go to a DMV office and do some paperwork that cannot be done online. But let me be clear things are getting better in the online system and more and more stuff can be settled without stepping foot there, however we are far from it and the digital world will not save us in some occasions. In the past I have had to go for various reasons for things that are now partly supported online and I say partly because the service is advertised to be done but if you start following the steps in the online portal it may say something along the lines ‘usually you can do this online but in your case you have to come to the DMV office.
One of them was registering a vehicle that I bought from ebay particularly a motorcycle. Another case for some reason my drivers license was outside the system due to a glitch and I couldn’t renew it online so I basically had to go in to have them corrected with all the accompanying paperwork. I also had various of my friends have to go to the DMV offices and they gave me some feedback on which one is good and fast to support you and which one isn’t. I figured I’d share this knowledge with you to avoid the hassle and save some of your time.
As a side note since covid started a lot of the Florida DMVs worked with appointments which was good and helped out a bit on the wait issue however this has now changed again and most DMV offices only accept walk-ins which means you need to get a ticket and wait for your turn to come to be serviced. Having said that there are still a few that operate with appointments but they are less than ideal when it comes to honoring your set time but you do get some form of priority and it’s not completely random on how long you will have to wait. This is a full list of DMV offices in case you need them for reference.
3721 NW 7th St. Miami, FL 33126
This DMV is in a mall area near the Magic City Casino. My friends have used it with great success stating servicing was fast. Also another factor weighing on this is that it’s relatively new and there’s other DMV’s near by the location which make it one of many options for someone trying to get his work settled. The location of it is pretty easy and you will probably be in and out fairly fast.
7900 NW 27th Ave Suite #e14
This is another DMV I have personally used once. I can safely say it was very fast with minimal wait time. Also because it’s in a decent location you can also run some errands while you are waiting for your number to come up. The location of it is easily accessible and parking is always there. Furthermore it seems to be ranked the best in google reviews as well which makes it a good contender in general as a DMV taking it from the comments compared to the other ones.
7795 W Flagler St Suite 82C
The popular flagler st. DMV had to have a mention here. While this is comes across as a great option as it’s in the mall of america’s the truth is that this DMV is extremely slow in my experience. The good thing is that they usually will service you and you will not have to come the next day to resume your numbering. One other positive is that it has different things to do in the area so you can spend the time there, however be prepared to spend an undefined time in the mall so if you are working from a laptop take it with you so the time passes by and you don’t have to wait!
DMV checklist and things to do before going
- This goes without saying but go over the required paperwork for the job you are trying to do before you go to the DMV. Make sure you have a checklist and all the items are done.
- If the DMV takes appointments make one it may save you sometime.
- Try to get there a few minutes earlier on be on time. I usually allow myself a buffer between my appointment time in case there’s traffic or something unexpected happens.
- Do not leave the DMV for prolonged periods of time as sometimes the numbers skip and you may lose your turn.
- Be nice to the agents sometimes this takes you a long way and they may be willing to overlook some minor detail while processing your paperwork
- Take a drink and a snack with you as you may be stuck for a long time and not able to leave the location or find anywhere near by to purchase
- I like to carry my tablet or laptop so I can do something while I wait a book works too for the people that like to read.
- Take someone with you to keep you company if you have that luxury it also helps by splitting the time between the two of you so someone can always be in line and quickly call the other person if necessry.
Conclusion
Finding the fastest DMV is a battle of it’s own I think changes very much over time and I’ll do my best to keep this list up to date with information as it comes up. My attempt here is to give some high level insights and extend this guide to be more comprehensive. Having said that more and more things are moving to online services if you have the option please do that as a first attempt. Some things that do require your presence might be unavoidable which in that case make your choice accordingly. Now I know location is also important for most people but think of it this way the time you’d spend driving a bit further you’d probably end up spending it sitting in a DMV office so in my opinion even if you have to drive further out it’s worth it as you will be waiting less time in the DMV. Another thing worth noting here is that a lot of things such as renewals, payments for replacement licenses etc can be done in tax collector offices which are almost always less busy than a DMV. If that’s the case for you I recommend you look into those as well. I include a link here for your own reference. And hey if you have sometime sitting you can read my post on the best value restaurants in Miami.
I would like to keep this list current with existing DMVs so please put me a note below if you think I skipped one of them or I forgot something. If you think something is inaccurate or have a new suggestion to give, please put in the comments below and I’ll be sure to add it. Other than be patient and hope you get your work done safely and securely.
