DMV Hours : Operating hours & Holidays of DMV & its Services

The Department of Motor Vehicles is a busy place so you must be well prepared if you want to go. If it’s your first time visiting, it cannot be very comforting. But with a little planning and information about their time and schedule, you can make things easier for yourself.

DMV Timings

Each state in the United States has its DMV department. You can look for your local DMV office by searching online. Most of the offices are open from Monday to Friday. Some are open on Saturday as well, so it would be wise to check with the specific office before-hand. The opening hours, on average, vary between 7:00 AM and 9:00 AM. On Saturday, more than 60 offices operate from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Other than that, DMV timing to close may vary between 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Essential Details regarding DMV

Department of Motor Vehicles or DMV is an agency charged with the responsibility of motor vehicle services like vehicle registration, vehicle titles, and keeping driving records in the United States. On the other hand, in Canada, the mentioned jobs are handled at the provincial government level. The first Department of Motor Vehicles was founded in 1915. Its headquarters are based in Sacramento, California, United States, and in July 2019, Steve Gordon was appointed Director for DMV by Governor Newsom. 

Their online services include personalized plate search, driver history printout, address change, reporting a vehicle sold/ traded, driver license replacement, personalized plate search, vehicle registration renewal, and registration and insurance status. Additionally, their websites allow you to apply for a driver’s license directly and also provide you with practice exams to give a good idea of what is expected from you. Most sites also allow you to schedule a time for written exams in the office. 

The most suitable time to go to DMV is in the middle of the month. Further, it would be wise to go during the week, mid to late afternoon.

DMV Office Hours on Regular Days

We would recommend checking DMV hours when you are planning to visit on any day. But timings vary depending upon the location, but on an average, the following schedules are observed:

DMV Hours Today on Working Days

DMV Saturday Hours & Sunday Hours

The Department of Motor Vehicles is closed on Sunday. On Saturday, more than 60 field offices are open. The DMV times on Saturday for these offices, are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

DMV Weekend Hours

Locations of DMV open on Saturday

For Saturday service, you can take an appointment, which can be scheduled for up to 90 days. The timings for the offices are from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The following offices are open on Saturday:

• Bakersfield
• Bellflower
• Bell Gardens
• Chula Vista
• Clovis
• Concord
• Costa Mesa
• Culver City
• Daly City
• El Centro
• El Cerrito
• Fairfield
• Folsom
• Fontana
• Fresno (Olive Avenue)
• Fullerton
• Hawthorne
• Hayward
• Hemet
• Lancaster
• Lodi
• Long Beach
• Los Angeles
• Merced
• Modesto
• Novato
• Oakland (Claremont Avenue)
• Pacoima Driver License Processing Center (DL Only)
• Palm Desert
• Pasadena
• Pleasanton
• Poway
• Rancho Cucamonga
• Redding
• Redwood City
• Riverside East
• Roseville
• Sacramento
• Salinas
• San Bernardino
• San Diego-Clairemont
• San Francisco
• San Luis Obispo
• San Marcos
• San Pedro
• San Jose Driver License Processing Center (driver license/ID card only)
• Santa Clara
• Santa Monica
• Santa Rosa
• Santa Teresa
• Temecula
• Thousand Oaks
• Tracy
• Vallejo
• Van Nuys
• Ventura
• Victorville
• Visalia
• West Covina
• Woodland
• Yuba City

DMV Holiday Hours

There are many holidays on which the department prefers to offer its services to its customers. However, during a few of these holidays, the department chooses to stay closed. Outlined below are the holidays during which DMV remains open and settled accordingly.

On which holidays does DMV open?

The Department of Motor Vehicles is only closed on official state holidays. Offices are open on other holidays like

• Election Day
• Yom Kippur
• Good Friday
• Day After Christmas
• Thanksgiving.

Contact your local office to get the exact details for office hours on these days.

On which holidays does DMV remain closed?

It is important to note that when a holiday is observed on a Monday, all DC DMV service centers and stations will be closed on that Monday and the preceding Saturday. The offices are closed on the following holidays: 

• New Year’s Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Presidents Day
• Cesar Chavez Day
• Memorial Day
• Columbus Day
• Independence Day
• Indigenous Peoples’ Day
• Labor Day
• Veterans Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Christmas Day

DMV Near Me Hours

As there are many locations for DMV, it is offering the store locator to find our nearest DMV local office. Just visit this official DMV locator and choose your location from the field offices list available in the alphabetical order. Now you can see the hours for DMV along with appointment times or wait times. You can also search the ‘DMV operating hours near me’ in the Google Maps and it shows the nearest office based on your current location.

DMV Contact Details

Website: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/

Telephone: 1-800-777-0133

Hearing Impaired: TTY 1-800-368-4327

Headquarters: 2415 1st Avenue, Sacramento, CA 95818

Mailing Address: https://www.dmv.ca.gov/portal/dmv/detail/contacts/contacts

DMV Customer Service Hours: DMV phone hours are from 8 am to 5 pm (Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday) and 9 am to 5 pm (Wednesdays).

When is the most appropriate time to visit DMV?

When going to the DMV, make sure to avoid the weekends because it is the busiest time of the week. Instead, try to go on DMV hours Tuesday or Wednesdays. Other than that, keep the following things in mind:

• Avoid going right before or after a holiday because people are usually leaving town or getting right back from somewhere else.
• Avoid going around closing or opening times because most people think that’s the best time to go, and it overcrowds the office.
• Don’t go during the start and end of the month because queues are longer than usual.
• Just before the election, the place is flooded with non-licensed drivers to obtain an official state ID to be eligible to vote.

On the other hand, you can expect shorter waiting lines during an important event like the Super Bowl. Bad weather is also another reason for shorter lines and less crowded because people prefer staying at home. A significant traffic issue or a nearby shut down for construction is also a green light because people mainly do not want to stay out longer. So with a little technique and strategy, you can make your way into the DMV without getting stuck.

Services offered by DMV

Over the past few years, DMV has improved its online services for customers who had to experience the ordeal of waiting in long queues. It collects approximately $ 6.5 billion annually in revenue. That being said, let’s look at some of the roles of DMV:

• Recording ownership of the vehicles DMV registers
• Maintaining driving records, of drivers with license, like accidents
• Issuing ID cards to citizens
• Registering and keeping records of the ownership of vessels
• Keeping a check on driving and traffic violating schools
• Regulating vehicle manufacturing companies, dealers and salespeople
• Financial responsibility law
• Maintenance of records according to the law
• Addressing customer concerns

Primary insights on DMV Appointment System

For DMV services, it is essential to make an appointment before you visit a DMV field office. Most of the vehicle registrations can be processed through mail or online, so you do not need to visit the office yourself for that. For registration renewal notices, you need to use it to the mail, telephone, or the official website. You may also refer to the FAQ section for further information.

To make an appointment for an office visit, behind the wheel driving test or the commercial driving test, go to the official website of DMV. There, you can make appointments for up to three items. After selecting your option, you will be directed to a page where you will schedule your appointment. Then, you will be required to enter your information.

How to register a vehicle in DMV?

It is essential to register your vehicle at DMV within 180 days of the date on your insurance identification card. Before going to a DMV office, make sure that you have all the necessary documents and identification proofs to avoid the on-site hassle. It includes:

• Proof of ownership
• Auto liability insurance
• Sales tax form
• Drivers license or permit
• Proof of payment of sales and tax payment
• A complete application of Vehicle Registration

Furthermore, you will get the following documents within 1 to 2 weeks from when you register:

• Vehicle plates
• Registration window sticker
• Registration document
• Title certification (if applicable)

It is also essential to get a safety inspection at a DMV licensed inspection station annually or when the ownership of the vehicle is transferred. Apart from this, the fee structure depends on the vehicle’s weight and your residence. It mainly includes sales tax, registration transfer fee, title certification fee, and a one or 2-year registration fee. You can also go to the DMV website online to estimate this registration fee so you can get a pretty good idea about what is required. Payment can be done through cash, credit card, prepaid card, or a check.

DMV Wiki

The following data is taken from Wikipedia for the readers for informational purposes.

FAQs

Final Verdict

DMV is available six days a week to address your concerns with suitable hours. The department takes its responsibility seriously and leaves no stone unturned in ensuring that the interests of the citizens are addressed according to the law.