Eureka DMV — Local services in Eureka

Make sure to schedule an appointment online. If you try to walk in, you will be waiting in long line, getting a number, and waiting again in the chairs.

Unfortunately, when you go online to schedule an appointment, the Eureka DMV is booked out about 3 weeks, so make sure you schedule way before your deadline. At the time of registration, you are given the option to print the confirmation - - do this now because you cannot get back to this screen. Bring this with you. We forgot ours and when we arrived the system had us down for the wrong type of appointment (car registration not driver's license) and so they couldn't see us. We asked them to check, and they said that was what the system said. When we got home, we looked at our confirmation and sure enough, it had the correct type of appointment listed. If we had brought the confirmation, I think they would have found a way to get us in, but without it, we had no proof about the type of appointment we registered for.

Alternatively, you can schedule an appointment online for the DMV in Garberville or Crescent City for the next day. (We needed our driver's license ASAP, so we went to Crescent City after the appointment fiasco.)

The Eureka DMV is very crowded, and even with an appointment you go to a separate line to get a number and sit back down. Luckily, it was only for a few minutes.

We had most of our form filled out, so we got our out of state (aka non native) car inspected and registered in about 15 minutes. The staff member also loaned us screwdrivers so we could swap our plates right away and recycle our old plates at the DMV.

The staff members were friendly and I think they're doing a good job for the high volume of customers they have to serve :)

Until the DMV is allocated more staff to handle the demand, it may be easier to go out of town because their online appointments can get you in a lot quicker. You could try doing a walk-in because there didn't seem to be any lines, but since you're driving out of town, why chance it? Just register online and guarantee yourself an...

Waiting over 30 mins to b able to schedule a DMV appt is not okay...i spent my whole lunch hr there n wasnt even helped...they need to have a way tp complaint more accessible...i had been waiting in line for a long long time b then the gal went ahead and took 2 ppl ahead of me that had scheduled appts. And when i requested a supervisor or a way to complain all she said is that she could help me after that person by this point i could not keep waiting n was already frustrated over the way the system works. I wish i was living in Sweden or a country that has way better systems in place. I will b back tomorrow the end of the day. The whole reason i have to go see them is bcause on a brand new car i received a letter from DMV saying they r going to cancel the registration due to no insurance which we do have insurance on the vehicle and they should be able to verify on their end and not have to be causing these issues they dont have time to serve the community n the last thing i want is to wait forever to be...

I’ve been trying to obtain my driver’s license for nearly two months, losing time and money due to the DMV’s disorganization. I submitted my valid passport and an expired Chilean ID, but my documents were still sent for secondary review, despite the fact that the passport alone should be sufficient under DMV guidelines. This shows a rigid and incorrect application of policy. The process was further delayed due to the Eureka office’s relocation. After passing the written test, I was scheduled for the driving test two weeks later. On the day of the test, I was denied the opportunity because the DMV mistakenly assigned my wife and me the same time slot—despite us accepting schedule changes suggested by the system. Staff took no responsibility and told me to reschedule weeks later or travel to another city. The person who attended me was dismissive and unhelpful. This complaint is to urge a review of procedures, better staff training, and respectful service...