Tax Collector Office Dariel Fernandez — Local services in Miami

Can't say enough about how much better this place is to other driver's license offices in South Florida! It is such an ordeal to renew your driver's license here! We went to the Key Largo DL office last week and were turned away because they said they service Monroe County residents only. Which should not be legitimate because driver's licenses are issued by the State of Florida, not individual counties. The staff at the Key Largo office could have and should have helped us but just didn't want to or care. Made up rule! We then went to the DL office in Florida City on Krome Avenue later that morning and it was even worse there where the guards at the door didn't even acknowledge us without an appointment and said all walk-ins were gone. Really as bad customer service you can get! Very rude and unprofessional.

Now back to the Miami-Dade Tax Collector's office by the Government Center in Downtown Miami. We arrived at 6:15 on Friday morning trying to walk-in and our hearts sank because there were already 45+ people in line, some sleeping on the floor outside. Many were there through the early morning hours and night. Some arrived as early as 3:00AM to get in line! We waited around anyway and at 7:30 or so, the staff came out and started checking everyone had the proper documentation and taking names for the walk-in list. Key, they have approximately 60 appointments per day and only allow 30 walk-ins daily. We sadly did not make the 30 walk-in cutoff because we were maybe number 46 or so. Here is the difference, the staff explained everything very clearly in English and Spanish and were very empathetic and helpful. They understood this process is a hassle and acknowledged many were there for a very long time through the early morning. They answered questions in a calm and helpful manner and tried to assist with useful tips on securing a coveted appointment. Staff, including the security guards were great! We unfortunately were not able to get the real ID license we needed though.

Well, here is how our experience ended. After trying to book an appointment late Friday night for 45 minutes without success, I logged into the site again at 10AM Saturday morning and literally by the grace of God was able to book a driver's license appointment for 11:30 later that morning, on a Saturday!! We arrived at 11:15 and had our real ID driver's license in about an hour. Again, EVERYONE at the tax collector's office was extremely helpful, accomodating and nice. The way it should be! Last bit of information for this office, if you are lucky enough to secure one of the 30 walk-in daily spots, be prepared to be there a long, long time. Spoke to someone who arrived at 6:00AM Saturday morning, was #24 on the walk-in list and when we left at around 12:15PM with our driver's license, she still had not been called to a window for service. 6 hours of waiting and counting. Note, appointments have the priority and walk-ins are addressed last.

Hope this helps! Miami-Dade Tax Collector's Office is one of the best places to get your driver's license renewal in South Florida in our opinion. Just be persistent about securing an appointment online, keep on trying and you have to be extremely patient. Very patient!! A big thanks to the Miami-Dade Tax Collector's Office for excellent service!...

This review is not a reflection of this specific location nor the staff - this review is in regards to the state's inability to have adequate infrastructure to support the legal requirement of maintaining a non expired license. If appointments are unavailable at all locations in this county, if other counties are refusing service to Miami Dade residents, and if all DMVs take a limited number of walk ins per day, is it reasonable to expect someone to camp out overnight to comply with a legal requirement mandated by that same government? Where are you supposed to pee/poop overnight? Will someone hold your spot in line while you go pee? Will you get arrested for vagrancy? How is this safe? What if you have a medical condition?

If you check the jobs posted for the Florida DMV, there is only one open requisition for a "DRIVER LICENSES EXAMINER II". Hopefully they'll be able to recruit sufficient staff to remedy this situation.

My personal experience at this location - I arrived at 6am on a Friday morning and it wasn't until 8:20am that someone confirmed they had reached their limit of 30 walk ins that day and they were unable to help me renew my license. Their staff informed us that this location will be opening on Saturdays and will also be accepting walk ins on Saturday, but also just a limited amount (30/day I'm guessing). Supposedly, appointments open at midnight EST, but if there are thousands of people needing appointments, I assume appointments run out quickly at 12:00am EST. Per news articles, this has been ongoing for years. What is the state's plan to catch up with this backlog?

Coincidentally, I happened to visit an auto tag location today to renew my car's registration. I was done within 5 minutes of arrival. The location looked to have at least 5 staff members and there was no one waiting after me. What qualifications do these auto tag staff require to help the state process the backlog of expired licenses/licenses...

I had an excellent experience renewing my driver's license at this DMV today. My appointment was at 9:00am but I arrived early - around 8:15am. you can only check in 15 minutes before your appointment, so technically arriving that early doesn't matter. However, in my case, it was hot and humid outside since it rained earlier so being toward the front of the line did get me inside faster.

Once inside, the process was incredibly smooth. They simply asked me to take a seat, and you constantly hear names being called over the speakers, which reassures you that things are moving along. I only waited about 10 minutes before my name was called. From there, the process was incredibly smooth. I had to go in because the letter I received stated I needed to take a vision test, which they do at this location. The location was clean, well-organized, and the few staff members I interacted with were surprisingly friendly-something you don't often expect at the DMV!

I'm so glad I decided to make the drive from 120th Street to this location. It was absolutely worth it, and I would 100% return here in the future. I thought I needed to bring a copy of my W-2 Form, so I panicked and asked if I could show it on my phone. The gentleman kindly told me they could print it there for a $2.50 fee. I didn't end up needing to but man, that was incredible to hear! In addition, there was a woman who showed up and had a "no wait" appt. I have no clue how she got that VIP appt lol but just know that no one is skipping you. Everyone who is there has an appt or is making one as they show up. Since I overheard that "No wait" one - I could've easily assumed they were allowing her to skip us, but that was not the case... Anyway - I...