Same exact thing happened to my customer's kid here in WI. He went to get his regular license, after having a probationary license. He had to come back with his birth certificate even the original documentation and his probationary license had the correct date. I guess the DMV is universal or maybe they are all a big cabal and out to screw with us.
What is funny about most Calif DMV's is that most of the clerks speak English as their second language! I will give praise to the Mt. Shasta City DMV right off I-5. I bought a truck in Oregon and stopped there to registered. 3 clerks no waiting. Awesome.
I bought a 2005 Scion tC in early 2006 off ebay, I needed something economical to drive the 50 miles each way to work. When I went in to the DMV to register the car the clerk looks at my paperwork and says. "well that's awfully convenient, 8006 miles on the odometer". I say, "what?". What the hell's "convenient" about the mileage on the odometer? She says, "you know full well that any used car registered with 7500 miles or less on the clock is registered as a "new" car with the applicable new car taxes and fees". I told her I had never heard of that rule and tried to show her the ebay listing that I had printed out that showed her the mileage on the car when I bought it from PA. She wouldn't even look at the printout. I laughed at her...then she really got pissed...some people really know how to make their jobs tougher than they need to be.
And ditto that ditto! Try "splaining" late 20's-30's plate colors to the(looselely) counter b&^ch. Yep there's a book.... look for it. If the dmv is not a mind f&%k, I don't know what else to call it. Although I had walked into a dmv in another city before and a gent says-"another old car?" I'de been there before. Yep,buddy, you are one of my new best friends...... It's a total game,just gotta know how to play.
I get down to the DMV with all a paperwork in hand to register my 34 Tudor and stand in line for an hour and a half just to have them look at my paperwork (to make sure I have everything) and to get a number. Three hours later (yes 3) they call my number and the nice lady at the counter says "Who filled this out?" Um the guy I bought the car from. "Well we don't take this form any more this is an old form you need to buy a temporary plate and take it to an emissions station for a VIN verification" I said that's okay I know someone with a trailer. "Okay that will work too have a nice day" F-CK you nice lady (I'm thinking in my head). Four and a half hours and the first guy couldn't tell me I had the wrong paper? So I know the local guys at the emissions station and gave them an extra $20 they came to the house and did the VIN verification's on both my Tudor and the wife's Coupe. Even though I'm not ready for her car I figured I'd get them both done if I was going to spend all that time in line. Just to show how nuts my DMV can be; I got there with my daughter (she was getting a photo ID) at 6AM (they don't open till 7:45) and we were 12th in line already! People with lawn chairs! I shit you not! Once in, the first guy in line 11 ahead of me is at the counter for almost an hour. I go find a chair because this is gonna take a while. So now the race is on to see who gets called first me or my kid. Finally she gets called up, then me, by this time my wife showed up (she was my ride for the day). All three of us standing at this BITCHES counter and there is a sign there that does say no cell phones at the counter windows so she yells at my kid to shut the cell phone off! My first instinct is to go over the counter and smack this bitch but I want this to go smoothly so I gave my kid "THE LOOK" and she went and sat down. Then this bitch says thanks for getting rid of her (again I bite my tongue). So I have all my paperwork all nice and neat in separate folders "Please take the paperwork out of the folders as instructed" "How many transactions?" Two ma'am. "I take it you want classic plates?" I'm thinking in my head no Construction plates you twit but I said yes please Ma'am. I had forgotten to sign one of the papers and she says you need to sign this I asked for a pen and she just rolled her eyes "you didn't bring a pen to the DMV?" and in a huff said "Typical" and threw a pen at me. Then in the middle of the transaction she is talking the person next to her about someone in the office getting an undeserved promotion. Then they start talking about their health care coverage. I'm like can you focus on your JOB for 30 seconds. Of course I didn't say this but the look on my face must have done it for me. So she is all done and my paperwork is now all mixed up and she hands it back to me and says that'll be $601 (no please) with her hand out. Boy am I glad that's over with. The last time I had to deal with the DMV was 12 years ago and they haven't gotten any faster with all this new technology, in fact they have gotten slower. I'm hoping to go another 12 years before stepping foot in there again (hopefully more).
I took my 59 Eldorado Biarritz to get regoed after a four year resto. The guy said what year is it and I told him it was a 59. He said I had to have a letter from the club syating what year it was. I said "mate, you are sitting on a computer, type in 1959 Cadillac!". . . . too logical. I said the vin starts with 59. Too logical. He says "that doen't mean that it was neccessarily built in 1959?". . . I said it probably does't mean 1859 either !" Then i explained that I had taken a day off work to bring it in. . . no he insisted. One of the other inspectors walks in and says "cool 59". Finally he relents . . . but not before he says "how do i know it's not a kit car"?
The local SCDMV has installed large flat screens on each side of the waiting area and when you come in they lady at the reception desk gives you a ticket and when your number comes up it is flashed on the screen,your number is also announced in a automated voice and to which DMV employee window you are to go to,they also flash advertisments. This place is always packed and I honestly believe the people that work there have been to a facility that indoctrinates there employees on how to be as uncooperative and anal as possible. I spent about a hour and a half in DMV purgatory Thursday,I glanced at the screen and there was a ad about hypertension ( High blood Pressure) and how to avoid stressful situations. To me that's funny. HRP
HRP That is "EXACTLY" what it's like here. Literally, flat screens, calling your number to a window, adds, packed....word for word exactly the same. Like we are in alternate universes in 2 different states.
Back to the Babylon Village DMV many moons ago. The building itself goes back to around 1900. The wood floors actually had ruts in them from the passage of many feet. If you forget your pen (they'd NEVER loan you one..) there was this pen dispenser and for 10¢ you could get one. There was a 50-50 chance that those would write. I was there with my neighbor and he was taking his permit test (1966ish..) and we had to wait and all they had was some wooden benches around the perimeter, se we sat... he sits on the remains of a broken bottle and cuts the cheek of his ass. It was that shabby of a place.
Some years back I needed to rent a car, and when I provided them with my drivers license, they told me it was expired. Sure enough, the Maine DMV entered an expiration date three days after it was issued. I wanted to keep it, but the lady at the DMV was quicker than me and snatched it off the counter before I could. When my uncle bought his '69 Z/28 back in 1980, he added the vanity plate CRUZIN. Funny thing was, people would come up to him at car shows telling him there was another car running around with the same plate. When the Maine DMV finally computerized their system in the late '80s, they informed him that they had issued the same plate to two people, and since the other guy was first, my uncle would have to forfeit the plates. Instead, he bought the rights to the plates from the other guy, and has had them ever since. Myself, I always dread going into the Maine DMV; time comes to a complete standstill in those places, and the clerks there are even slower...
If your name is Christopher, your name won't fit on your license in NY. They shortened it to first and middle initial. This caused me a lot of problems so I went to DMV to complain. I said I want my license to say Chris, but they argued I can't shorten my name. I then took my license out and said I wrote Christopher on the form and you guys shortened it to C. She starts babbling and mumbling so I ask for manager. Explain to manager the law I was just told- you can't short your name and demanded my name be corrected. She says she can't because middle initial must legally be on license and wont fit. Finally she issues me an illegal license that says Christopher with no middle initial. Why me all the time?
My wife's doctor's office is in the same complex as the dmv. I schedule my dmv work to coincide with her appointments so at least I'm waiting on two things at the same time. Plus if burst a vessel at the dmv they can haul me over there.
Last year I bought a 31 Model A from Georgia and brought it back to SC. All I had was a Georgia registration, no title. I paid the taxes at the courthouse first and set off to the DMV, dreading it the whole way. I got my number, waited my turn and get to the counter. The young girl, who I was pretty sure didnt know a Model A from a 55 Chevy says, " I'm going to have to get my supervisor", and disappears into the inner sanctum. The supervisor came bouncing back and with a big smile says, " Oh, you got you another old car! When I saw who it was I thought I would come speak to you" . Turns out to be the wife of one of my old dirt-tracking buddies, and she doesnt work the counter anymore, she's moved up. Stayed right there and walked the young girl through the whole process, sales tax, title, tag, registration, the whole shebang,and I left smiling.
Its so much easier here. You walk in, in most offices theres no line-up, you go up to the counter, they look at your "paperwork" laugh, tell you you cant register this vehicle, and you leave. In and out in 10 minutes...
One of my earliest experiences with the DMV when I was 18 and purchased a car. I went to register it it. I brought cash to pay for it and they told me I had to have a check or money order. I showed her that right on the bills it says legal tender for all debts public and private. Finally I got a supervisor involved and they took the cash. The last time I was there it was to renew my drivers license and get a picture taken. They had a very pleasant older man as you came in who asked you what you were there to do. He made sure you had the correct forms and gave you a clipboard with a pen attached to fill them out and a number. They have a seating area and screens and audio notification of which window to go to.
Call the US attorney. It is illegal not to accept cash. Someone finally sued the State here and won. They now accept cash, checks and Visa, Mastercard, Discover and American Express credit and debit cards.
Maybe I'm lucky, I never have a problem up here, go in with a bill of sale and insurance and out we go with registration, it's usually pretty painless!
That's cause you are not in the USA- here they have conventions to get the latest ideas spread- ie video monitors and bitchie additude!
Alberta and BC are VERY DIFFERENT. You guys don't have ICBC. I read thread on here about guys registering old stuff with missing titles in the states, and I just laugh. You guys have it easy down there, you just don't know it.
When I married my wife, she called the DMV before going in to change her name. She asked what they needed, they said a copy of the marriage certificate. She said a copy? Teresa on the other end said yes. She goes in with a copy, the woman there said she had to have an original. She goes through what Teresa said and they inform her that's wrong. We can't get the original, it's on file at the courthouse. She said screw the name change, she needed a renewal anyway. Long story short, by the time they were done dealing with my wife (and she gave them hell), they screwed up and changed her name by mistake. Of course they jacked her picture up too.
Does that have anything to do with your move to AB? and Salmon Arm is a damn nice place, I love it up there.
Just moved out of the country and I had to get a new drivers license. You know it is going to be an experience when there is a large sign on the door that says No Profanity !! The first attendant you see is also armed. It only took 3 trips. Oh the country I moved to is Mississippi !!
Nope not the cause of the move, I moved to northern alberta for the cheap housing at the time, I bought my first house here for what a down payment would have cost out there, now however thing have changed a little and it's almost the other way around now! One day I'll be back there! To keep the post somewhat on topic I learned to do some creative paperwork to get things registered when I was young....good thing nothing happened, there would have been some serious questions asked!
I have my ways, but I'm not gonna discuss it here. Theres a province a couple doors over from you, that's a little more "reasonable"...nudge,nudge, wink, wink...
Not funny......but sad really. I had to renew my medical for work and they wanted a receipt from the DMV that I turned in the paperwork (apparently the DMV loses paperwork.......shocking I know), I spent 7 HOURS there. I closed the place and was luck to get it done that day, something tells me if your left in line at 5pm they don't stay after to help finish the line up.
Registered my next project last week. 50 Pontiac, $20.00 sellers/buyers package, $60.00 appraisal of value, $118.00 tax & registration fee, three minutes at dmv , walking out the door with ownership papers in my name priceless,
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