Buying a new-to-you car can be fun and exciting. Registering a new-to-you car? Well, that can be not-so-fun. Spending seemingly all day in line at the DMV is a hassle when you have real stuff like a job that would be a better use of time. In theory, long waits should’ve been fixed when DMVs opened up online appointment booking, but greed has reportedly helped ruin that in Miami-Dade.
In Florida, it’s actually state law that you need to make an appointment to visit certain Department of Motor Vehicles branches, which sounds like a sensible move to limit crowding and enhance efficiency. However, in recent years, the Florida DMV has encountered a serious quantity of illegitimate appointments. In 2023, the agency told CBS News that it cancels roughly 1,000 bad-faith appointments every day
So what’s behind this appointment-booking interference? Is it overworked clerks trying to slow things down? Probably not. Actually, many of these questionable appointments result in a sort of concert ticket situation. As per CBS News:
Miami-Dade County Tax Collector Dariel Fernandez said his office found a network of scalpers who hoard the free appointments and sell them for a profit. His office said the scalpers get the time slots through the online appointment system, utilizing bots, fake accounts and other means to secure them.
The appointments are then sold for anywhere between $25 and $250.
Wow. I guess greedy motherfuckers really will scalp anything, huh? Paying a third party up to $250 just to get a good spot in line at the DMV seems egregious, and it shouldn’t even be an option, considering how some people need to fit specific times and dates into their work schedule. Plus, going to the DMV already sucks, we don’t need scalpers making it even worse.
Crazier still, apparently it’s not illegal to scalp DMV appointments – but that might soon change in Miami-Dade. A new ordinance cracking down on the practice has passed its first reading, and will officially become law when it passes its second reading on April 1. As county tax collector Dariel Fernandez told NBC 6, “The ordinance says if you do this, you are going to have $500 in fines or 60 days in jail.”
While up to 60 days in jail sounds like a lot, many laws exist because a small handful of people were behaving unethically and making life worse for everyone else. If this ordinance passes, it seems unlikely that prosecutors will often hand out maximum sentences, but they’d be on the table for the most egregious offenders. Given the purported prevalence of this DMV appointment scalping problem, some sort of amendment to curb this behavior seems overdue. Let’s see what happens on April 1.
Top graphic image: Google Streetview
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I feel lucky to live where I live in that we have two types of DMV offices. We have the big ones to get a license exam waiting lists online appointments, etc. but then we have also local city to do plates tabs registrations title, transfers that also do like hunting and fishing licenses and ORV and ATV tags those places walk in and get it done quickly because the really long lines are to get the drivers licenses.
Classic rent-seeking strategy: create artificial scarcity by hogging all the appointments, and then sell your now-scarce resource for top dollar.
Others have already mentioned similar experiences, but I will add: my local DMV is a nightmare, but a ~20 minute drive away is an office that seemingly no one knows about. I have never waited more than 5 minutes there.
If it’s anything like my area, there aren’t enough license offices, staff, or appointments to meet the need. My area allows walk-ins and they will start lining up outside offices an hour before they open.
People with the means to travel routinely drive up to an hour away to a different town where the offices aren’t as crowded.
I needed to get a real ID in december and didn’t have issues grabbing an appointment 3 weeks out, but I know others struggle to get appointments.
It’s really not even necessary. Every county in Florida has multiple tax collector offices. Some are busy some aren’t. You can always get an appointment right away if you are willing to drive a few extra miles.
Exactly, I have one half a mile away from my house (also has DMV) that nobody even knows is there.
I have an easy fix.
Sink Miami into the fucking ocean, and go about the rest of your now slightly-better day.
A place with a high concentration of wealth, like Miami, is going to also draw people that would do anything to get their hands on some of that money. No opportunity goes uncapitalized.
I’ve always wondered, when someone like let’s say, Brad Pitt, or Michelle Pfeiffer have to renew their license. Do they wait in line? I don’t think so, probably not? How do you get on the VIP list, and does it cost money?
I don’t know about Brad Pitt, but I met Matthew McConaughey, post Oscar win, in line at a local grocery store. So yeah, they have to do regular people stuff too.
This is one of those instances where I could kick myself for not thinking of it first.
This is what you get when you elect politicians who is campaign promise is “The government broken, elect me and I’ll break it from within to prove myself correct”
“….and only I can save you/fix the problem, so re-elect me.”
Never fix something if you can run against in the next election.
Here in living-vortex-of-hell California, I’ve not spent more than five minutes waiting at a DMV office in the last ten years or so. Appointments are pretty easy to get and clerks have been friendly. It’s the dead opposite of what it was fifteen or twenty years ago.
Same in Maryland. IF you are dealing with front line staff, they are great. If you have to deal with mid management, I wish you luck.
Nice! When I was in Denver I got used to being able to stare at a wall for an hour straight standing up. If I had to go that place on 18th & Pierce for title or Driver’s license stuff, I would cancel the rest of the day.
Likewise for Manhattan. The workers are, of course, a bit salty (it’s a job qualification) but I never had to wait. Often times the booth is ready as soon as I checked in at the kiosk. I just booked an appointment for next week with zero hassle.
Ditto in Minnesota. It’s amazing how nice things can be when you don’t make short-sighted tax cuts and fire all of the government employees who provide important services.
I have never had a problem with the DMV where I am at. Online appointments are great but even the walk-ins I have done weren’t really an issue.
I need to login into my account using my driver license information every time I want to make a change into Michigan SOS (DMV), why they can do something like that? That way they receive all the information from you and pull your profile information very fast including the vehicles you own etc.
how hard would it be for the DMV to require a motorist’s name when booking an appointment?
On the one hand jerks. On the other hand, quick money. If you don’t buy the appointment the money is lost and the next available goes up.
I live next to Clearwater and our DMV is a model of efficiency. You can’t even sit down before they call you for your appointment. They even remember me, and I’m not there all the time. I have no idea what Miami must be like.
I have a lot of vehicles so I have been to the Clearwater and Largo DMV offices several times. I don’t think I have ever waited more than 15 minutes at either. I used to live in Daytona and had no problems with their DMV offices either. I was surprised to see this headline; it seems like it applies only to Miami-Dade.
I agree. Seems the article is written from a far away place, lol. My local Tax Collector joint is a pretty smooth operation. As long as you aren’t a snowbird or a lost tourist, things get done lickety-split.
Never had a problem. People can talk shit about Florida all day (and some of it is valid), but for the most part, the admin side of life is relatively smooth for locals.
I am in Hillsborough County and I have had great luck with the online appointment system. I even recently did an online renewal with a new plate and got an email an hour later saying my plate was ready for pickup (it would have cost $6 to ship and I am five minutes from this office – had no problem driving over to save $6). I waited just a few moments to show my receipt and had my new plate. It sucks that people were jamming the reservation system like that.
Is that efficiency come from Scientology?
I didn’t ask the affiliation of the clerks, but the city doesn’t get along with the church. Anyway, they got the job done and were more than pleasant.
I’d never be a Scientologist, but I have a couple elderly friends who are.
Is this how English wrote?
Congratualtions on the pedantic granmer adn smpeeilng checking. Nwe from jao;pnik>? I have enough of a fulfilling life as to not need to commnet on otgher peoplse postas
Easily fixed, go back to waiting in line.
Bastards!
I see what you did.
“If you enjoy the haunting buzz of fluorescent lighting and the lingering aroma of cigarette smoke and IcyHot, Miami’s hottest club is …”
This place has everything!
With a DJ serving up hot tracks like:
♪Now Serving A….13……at Window Number 5!♪
and
♪Now Serving C….26……at Window Number 13!♪
No system is perfect, walk-in only can be a gamble, and appointment systems can be gamed. As with all such things, the true solution here is to move to a state that isn’t Florida.
Like the DMV in Greenville, SC is better.
Yeah, it definitely sucks living in a state with nice beaches, great weather, and no income tax.
Until hurricane season, you get rekt and your insurer pulls out of the state.
I’ve been through four hurricanes in my current house and two in my previous house. So far, damage has been limited to two tree limbs and a screen from my pool enclosure.
People outside of hurricane prone regions greatly overestimate how much damage hurricanes cause. Major damage is usually limited to areas subjected to storm surge (mostly areas very close to the beach) and the worst winds are over a small area.
Homeowner’s insurance is a bit more expensive than other places I have lived (maybe 50% more), but I have never had problems getting insurance.
I thought I was out of hurricane prone regions, but Helene made me re-evaluate my beliefs. I grew up in coastal NC but thankfully never took a major hit during my time there.
Hurricane Florence ravaged my home town; Trump told one home owner he at least got a boat out of the deal since it was sitting on his lawn.
Living in the Memphis area, I told my daughter we were safe from hurricanes after Katrina; she had decided to sleep in the master bedroom closet. After Helene she came up to me and told me I lied after her safety from hurricanes. I found it both funny and scary.
For the record, I am glad you haven’t suffered major damage.
Helene was a crazy storm. It seems like there was more damage inland than on the coast (aside from areas flooded by storm surge).
My worst hurricane experience was in Atlanta; I had damage to my roof, lost several trees, and was without power for 8 days after the remnants of a hurricane went through. At least houses on the coast are built to withstand hurricanes to some degree (I have no delusions my house will withstand a category 4 or 5 hurricane, but I’m not overly concerned with more typical hurricanes).
With climate change, I presume storms will impact inland areas far more often than in the past. At least I have confidence that our great leaders won’t do anything stupid like fire half of the NOAA forecasting staff or pretend climate change is a Chinese hoax…
I think 25% of Florida has no current homeowners insurance. I don’t. It’s not the huge risk you think it is. If you have a concrete house not in a flood zone, you’ll be fine. If you have a trailer it’ll blow away but they are cheap to replace. It’s the in-between wooden houses that need insurance and it sucks for them.
Not sure who stole your puppy in Florida, but it’s actually a pretty nice place to live, all things considered. 🙂
It is incredibly easy to require the appointment be tied to a name, driver’s license number, license plate, etc.
If you really want to discourage this behavior, force scalpers to work at the DMV for a week for every illegally sold appointment.
Meanwhile in blue Illinois, my wife spent all of 10 seconds waiting in line for title & plates on my new car. She was out the door in less than 5 minutes.
I know we have appointments for driver stuff like tests & replacement licenses. I hope we have a way to prevent scalpers from doing the Florida thing.
It seems like the obvious fix is to tie appointments to a specific name given at the time of reservation. Show up and you’re not that person, no appointment for you.
That makes sense! But would sense work in Florida?
Only if there’s an alligator involved somehow.
When I registered and plated my car in Michigan a few years ago the appointment required my name, address, and driver’s license number in order to book it. No way to scalp that unless the buyer wants to pay twice and have an invalid registration. The annual renewal can be done online since the only thing the state really cares about is getting that sweet cheddar every 12 months.
Is it worth the extra you pay at the pump compared to your neighboring states?
Oh hell yeah. Around here, you can always find a good job.
Sadly I suspect there’s no real way to stop scalpers. The IL SOS’s best bet would be to constantly advertise that the only official way to get an appointment would be to go to the SOS site or call or whatever.
Wow scalpers truly ruin everything. At least where I live, we’ve gone appointment only and it’s been a whole lot better than the “pull a number and wait all day even if you showed up at the crack of dawn” situation. I was expecting to take my entire lunch break but I was in-and-out with a new registration and plate in under 15 minutes, actually finished before my scheduled appointment time.
Also legislation coming into effect on April 1st is certainly a choice lol.
Meanwhile on the other side of the state I can zip through DMV in half an hour or less (without an appointment) and renew my registration via a kiosk at Publix. Miami-Dade is the worst in every possible way.
Yeah I’m in FL and I admittedly haven’t been to the DMV in a year or two, but last time I needed DMV stuff I made the appointment, which wasn’t weeks or months in the future, went when they told me to, and I was in and out in 20 min or so. No problems. I renew online and get the registration in the mail a few days later.
Damn scalpers. I suggest bringing back burning at the stake, just for them. I’m still pissed about not getting a mini super Nintendo because of them.
Video game consoles, graphics cards, concerts, toilet paper, and now DMV appointments. What’s next?
DOCTOR APPOINTMENTS
It will be the insurance companies up- charging for preferential treatment.
Perfectly legal, not scalping
Human suits.
Buffalo Bill, is that you?
I work for the lizardmen now.
I was lucky enough to scored a mini-NES, but missed out on the mini-SNES. My kids still find the games fun, but I wish we had the mini-SNES for original Mario Kart and FF3.
I am genuinely sorry you missed out, though I only got lucky myself. Playing Super Metroid through it was a blast. I missed the NES, but that was mostly a “shucks that would have been cute.” The SNES is where, for me, we really start to get into games I want to play to completion.