Springfield DMV

jmitw said:

do you remember how far ahead you got the renewal form, can't renew without the form...and I haven't gotten my yet...I'm due in October...used to be able to inspect 2 months ahead of time, but can't inspect without the registration...i could swear reg form used to come at least 3 months ahead of time..hoping its just delayed because of closures...

just found a link to request an allegedly lost pin...i assume it works for one that got lost in the mail.

 They’re supposed to send them early.  That said, my registration is due at the end of August, I only received the renewal form about a week ago, so that would have been useless if I was renewing by mail.

This won’t help you now, but for the future the PIN doesn’t change.  I wrote down the PIN for my cars and I renew them online usually about six weeks before they’re due.  This year I actually received my registration in the mail before I received the renewal notice, which is crazy.


@jmitw - we got our renewal last week for September. 


mulemom said:

Had my car inspected in Randolph on Tuesday, after discovering upon arrival that the Washington inspection station is by appointment only. 

Arrived at 3:35pm, was leaving by 4:05pm.  Renewed registration online, so didn't have to go in for that, but observed that there was no waiting line outside the building while I was there.

It really seems that it's a crap-shoot wherever you go.  This is from a Facebook post just five days ago: 

Dennis Stella doesn't recommend NJ Motor Vehicle Commission - Randolph.

5d ·

"Worst experience two weeks ago. 300+people in 94 degree sun for 4 hours before opening. No bathrooms. I left after opening and won’t be back ever. Governor Murphy we need to think and start to implement online scheduling immediately.!" https://share.icloud.com/photos/0VbTEvEYM-iNod9TO6pd2kZlw…

eta - Eatontown isn't any better: 

"Hello! Has anyone been to Eatontown MVC this week? I have to take my boys to get their license tomorrow morning and really do not want to have to get there at 4am!




@jmitw - I actually hadn't received the renewal form when I went online and got the PIN number to use.  Did the renewal on Tuesday, the form showed up in the mail on Thursday.  Of course, still waiting for the new registration to arrive in the mail, but the current one is still good through September. 

@spontaneous - good to know the PIN stays the same!  I will save the now-not-needed renewal form from this year, for future reference


Was at Springfield this past Thursday the 19th.  Arrived at 4am and was 27th person on line.  Speaking with the people in front of me I can confirm that some had slept there.  The method seems to be get there, put your chair on line, go back to your car and hope that no one jumps the line.

There were enterprising young men who were waiting on line only to be replaced by the "real owner" sometime around 7:30.  The going rate seemed to be about $25 per hour to wait on line for someone else.

At 7:45 one of MVC's finest came out to hand out numbers and proceeded to berate people who were unsure if they had the right forms or had trouble understanding English.  She was just rude, nasty and very unhelpful barking out commands and getting nastier by the second if you had any questions.  And this was first thing in the morning.

Once inside, the wait was long but not terrible.  Was done by 10:15.

Definitely follow the advice from above and check the website to determine what services each location provides.  It would have sucked that much more to find out that, after waiting in the cold and dark, the services you needed were not available.


NJ MVC has been awful as long as I can remember.  Why can't they get their sh*t together and hire normal, polite and helpful people?


sportsnut said:


NJ MVC has been awful as long as I can remember.  Why can't they get their sh*t together and hire normal, polite and helpful people?

 --- because nobody wants to pay the increased fees or taxes, necessary to upgrade the system.

This is the same with other services: Child Protective Services. Park properties that are deteriorating and on and on.

Remember the complaints about the potholes in our roads? Then remember the howling when the gas tax went up to pay for fixing road problems? I don't recall reading in the Ledger about potholes anymore.


All of the staff that I encountered at the Washington MVC Vehicle Center were polite and helpful and courteous. As described before, you arrive and they give you a number. You go in and talk to the receptionist who give you any forms you may need to fill out, and then they take your cell phone number to text you. First when you have about 20 minutes til your turn. Then again when it is almost your turn. Then again when it is your turn they give you a number for which counter to go to.

Periodically someone came outside and asked if anyone needed a bottled water. There was also a porta potty available for use.

I arrived at 8:15 and was 84th in line. I walked out at 10:45 with a transferred title, new registration and plates in hand. If i had gotten there earlier maybe I would have gotten out earlier (duh).

EXTRA NOTE: The hot dog place is closed til September 4th.

Pro tip: the Shoprite about 5 minutes away has decent bathrooms.


they claim changing from DMV to MVC makes it better....they have screwed up more often than not since I 1st got my permit. I am blind in 1 eye, glasses don't correct it, yet they marked my permit glassed required (i had a medical exemption form).  They  corrected the permit, but not the record in their computer...so when i got my license, it said glasses required.  They have repeatedly screwed up my handicap parking.....1 year they sent  me someone else's and the next time, they punched 2 months and no year....among other issues with attitude.


Between Wayne and Rahway which is expected to be the less aggravating?  I plan on getting there between 6:30 and 7:00 for a license renewal.

Thanks for the information on this thread. Without it, I would have gone to Springfield.

----------------

A as an aside. When did MVC designate the service centers to either licensing or vehicle locations? Was this an efficiency move?

TomR


It's supposed to help with social distancing. I'm not sure how exactly. 


berkeley said:

Does anyone have experience with the Randolph location? TIA

I used to go to Randolph for inspections when my job was further west.  I liked it, no problems.  Lines were reasonable.  I can't speak for any license stuff.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

sportsnut said:


NJ MVC has been awful as long as I can remember.  Why can't they get their sh*t together and hire normal, polite and helpful people?

 --- because nobody wants to pay the increased fees or taxes, necessary to upgrade the system.

This is the same with other services: Child Protective Services. Park properties that are deteriorating and on and on.

Remember the complaints about the potholes in our roads? Then remember the howling when the gas tax went up to pay for fixing road problems? I don't recall reading in the Ledger about potholes anymore.

They fixed the road problems?  News to me.


yahooyahoo said:

They fixed the road problems?  New78s to me.

 78 and 80 completely repaved. Municipalities were given grants for road improvement.


We can't fix years of neglect overnight.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

 --- because nobody wants to pay the increased fees or taxes, necessary to upgrade the system.

This is the same with other services: Child Protective Services. Park properties that are deteriorating and on and on.

Remember the complaints about the potholes in our roads? Then remember the howling when the gas tax went up to pay for fixing road problems? I don't recall reading in the Ledger about potholes anymore.

 When I went to get my license renewed, pre-COVID, the woman couldn't get the picture uploaded.  She had to call over her supervisor, who  worked on "tricking" the computer.   It took about 10 minutes to figure out what to do and have someone do it.  She was so frustrated and clearly had to do this type of action several times a day. 

Unemployment applications are 30 years old and look it.  Both the unemployment and MVC use COBOL based mainframe systems.  Now this isn't all bad btw, you can do a lot with mainframes, but some functions including images, are best off the mainframe.  And they've tried, leading to a $14M settlement from HP.  


America is a third world country walking around with a Gucci bag.


dianaid said:

Formerlyjerseyjack said:

 --- because nobody wants to pay the increased fees or taxes, necessary to upgrade the system.

This is the same with other services: Child Protective Services. Park properties that are deteriorating and on and on.

Remember the complaints about the potholes in our roads? Then remember the howling when the gas tax went up to pay for fixing road problems? I don't recall reading in the Ledger about potholes anymore.

 When I went to get my license renewed, pre-COVID, the woman couldn't get the picture uploaded.  She had to call over her supervisor, who  worked on "tricking" the computer.   It took about 10 minutes to figure out what to do and have someone do it.  She was so frustrated and clearly had to do this type of action several times a day. 

Unemployment applications are 30 years old and look it.  Both the unemployment and MVC use COBOL based mainframe systems.  Now this isn't all bad btw, you can do a lot with mainframes, but some functions including images, are best off the mainframe.  And they've tried, leading to a $14M settlement from HP.  

 Pre-Covid I went for my Real-ID and the woman wasn’t going to accept my marriage certificate as a name change because she said for the Real ID I needed a court order for a name change.  I had to show her where the MVC paperwork said a marriage certificate was one of the acceptable forms for a name change.  She was perfectly pleasant, and after studying the MVC forms for a minute she did agree that I was correct.  It was just bizarre that at first she wasn’t going to accept it.  Marriage certificates have been accepted as legal documentation of a name change since before cars were even invented.



Not on MOL anymore really, so I missed this thread.  I had to renew my licence and I was sad to find out we can't go to Springfield anymore.  I tried Newark and got there around 7:00 AM and the parking lot was closed and there were multiple lines going in all kinds of directions for who knows how long.  I went home.

My son did research and said that the only DMV which gets a good review is Flemington.  However, even that one has horrible recent reviews.  So I went to Randolph.  I got there a bit before 7 and the line was already wrapped around the building and the parking lot was full.  I had to park on the street, but there was plenty of room for that close by.  I brought a chair, water and lots of books and sketch material.  I should have brought food, a jacket and maybe a sun hat.  It was actually chilly.  However, it is a nicely landscaped place and quiet.  Most people wore masks and tried to social distance.  So so on that.  

I waited in line a long time.  Around 9 or so, they came out and gave us tickets.  They gave out 250 tickets.  I was 209.  Anyone in line after 250 was told to leave.  I waited in line until about noon and then they sent me in and checked some of my documents and got my phone number, and sent me a text saying I was now #213.  Then they told me to go away for a few hours and that they would text me. 

I did not know where to go, so I decided just to stay.  I was able to move my car into the parking lot because a lot of cars had left.  I should have looked for food because I was starving and almost light headed.  I sat under a tree and did sketches of all the sad looking mopy people hanging out. 

Multiple people came and were excited to see no line, but then were told that no more customers were being taken for the day.  Some of them were pissed off and had extended conversations with the staff.  The staff moods ranged from mildly friendly to deep hatred of the human race.  Average was just quiet below the surface seething.   

They did send me multiple text messages as promised. Around 3:00 I went in and they processed my forms. .  I had a drivers licence and a passport and they still wanted another piece of ID.  I did not have my social security card so I could not get a Real ID.  Then I had to wait in another section where there were not enough chairs and we watched a monitor telling us where to go.  The lady who processed my forms told me to stand back from the guy in the chair because I was not social distancing enough and Trenton is watching on monitors and they get in trouble all the time.  Evidently Trenton does not watch the lines outside.  

I waited about 15 minutes, eventually getting a chair, which was not sanitised (Trenton evidently does not care about that), and then called to process the rest of my licence and to take my picture.  My picture look horrible and traumatized and the woman asked me if I wanted a retake and I said no because I knew it would be just as bad.

I left about 3:50 with my new licence and drove back, almost getting into an accident pulling into a the first food place I saw where I scarfed down a burger and french fries in my car.  I noticed it was 4:00 PM.  So it took me from 7:00 AM - 4:00 PM + commute, and I lost one of my vacation days to misery, but I'm glad it's done. 


These stories are just insane. I understand there was a terrible backlog and any government agency has limitations. But this is crazy. An entire day at DMV makes no sense. The attitude of most of the DMV staff was marginal to begin with. This is only going to make moods and temperament deteriorate further - for staff and “clients.” Just awful. 


For what it's worth, the website prominently displays which locations have stopped taking customers for the rest of the day.


mrincredible said:

For what it's worth, the website prominently displays which locations have stopped taking customers for the rest of the day.

 Where that doesn't work... three weeks ago, I needed registration and title work to register a motorcycle for my employer (don't ask, but I get paid for doing it). I had to wait for their documents to come in the mail so I could take them to M.V.

Mailed documents arrived at 12:45. I check the website and find out that Washington office is still open. Most others are closed out. So I get in the car and drive there. Now, when I'm driving, I ain't gonna stop the car every 5 minutes to see if the office is still open.

50 minutes later, I get to the office.... do I need to finish the story?


Flemington is hit or miss.  Some local people reported being in and out in under 40 minutes, while others reported hours long lines.  There doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to what days and times are quick and which have long waits.


Formerlyjerseyjack said:

yahooyahoo said:

They fixed the road problems?  New78s to me.

 78 and 80 completely repaved. Municipalities were given grants for road improvement.

We can't fix years of neglect overnight.

Interstate upkeep is largely funded by the feds. I was thinking more about state/local roads.


I got to Springfield mvc at 5:30 am this morning. I just left at 9:30am. Registration and titles only. My number was 63. When I left the line outside was up to Morris ave. I asked the security guy at the door if they’re limiting, he said no. They’re going all day. I guess it’s new procedure beginning in September. It’s best if you fill out your forms before you get there this way you can be out faster. I filled the form out there and that’s the only delay. I think the service was very good. People are still arriving as I was leaving to join the line.


Has anyone tried Oakland location?


Hooray!  Sometimes it's good to be over 65. My wife can now renew her license online. Her license expired the end of August and she was wating until the end of the year to renew in person. 

"Gov. Phil Murphy on Thursday signed two bills into law that should help ease the long lines and multiple hour waits at state Motor Vehicle Commission agencies in New Jersey.

The bills, passed by the state Legislature last month, allow the MVC in the state to use old photos of drivers age 65 and up for more than eight years so they can renew their licenses online and establish appointments for seniors and drivers with certain medical conditions who can’t wear a face mask."

https://www.nj.com/news/2020/09/murphy-signs-bills-that-will-get-some-drivers-out-of-long-mvc-lines.html


Done. Thank you, Gov. Murphy. 


I am not 65 but was able to renew online yesterday, even though my photo is now 8 years old. Guess it'll be confirmed if/when the license actually comes.


zucca said:

I am not 65 but was able to renew online yesterday, even though my photo is now 8 years old. Guess it'll be confirmed if/when the license actually comes.

 A4486 extends the validity of all driver's license and identification card photographs from a maximum of eight years to a maximum of 12 years. The bill also allows residents 65 years of age or older to be eligible to use a stored photograph for each standard driver's license or standard identification card renewal.
This bill signed By Murphy on September 10 (A4466) taken from The Patch 


Yes! I was going to go on Friday but tried online Thursday in case, before I found any confirmation that that had been signed. The MVC website didn’t have an update but it did allow me to renew. Then I saw the announcement online yesterday. 


jmitw said:

do you remember how far ahead you got the renewal form, can't renew without the form...and I haven't gotten my yet...I'm due in October...used to be able to inspect 2 months ahead of time, but can't inspect without the registration...i could swear reg form used to come at least 3 months ahead of time..hoping its just delayed because of closures...

just found a link to request an allegedly lost pin...i assume it works for one that got lost in the mail.

 I renewed without my form. I had a form but couldn't locate it and thought I needed the PIN like with registration renewals but none was needed. I just renewed online the end of July. 


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