Louisiana Office of Motor Vehicles — Local services in New Orleans

Mid April 2019 I went to get a motorcycle endorsement. I got there about 1 p.m. was told I would be there for the rest of the day, I did not have time, I came back the next day, got there about noon. They told me it would be about 2 hours. It ended up being about 2 hours and 45 minutes. I took and passed the written exam and then had to make an appointment to take the physical motorcycle skills test. The next appointment was a couple days later on Tuesday. They gave me a slip of paper saying my appointment time for the skills test was 1 p.m. and on the paper it said arrive 15 minutes early to get your paperwork in order, the lady circled the 15 in 15 minutes to make sure I saw it (that's pretty effin funny).

I showed up on Tuesday got my number from the main desk it was stamped 12:45. 1:00 came and went, I inquired several times at the information desk, was told they were shorthanded. They have 25 numbered desks for servicing people. Literally the most I saw open with people working behind them helping people was 9, and for about an hour and a half that afternoon there was no more than 4 of the 25 open. I had to leave at 3:10 without taking my test because I had to be at work. When I left I was standing next to and talking with people that had been there since 9 a.m. I got an appointment for the next day at 1 p.m.

I got there the next day at 11:45 a.m. . Throughout the afternoon I saw many of the same customer faces that were there the day before with me. Someone brought me out back for my skills test around 3:30 p.m. . They had me do three figure eights in the parking lot, (kind of funny, I found a video on YouTube of a bear doing the same thing on a motorcycle in the circus). I asked the nice girl what's going on with the short staffing, asked if it was a budget thing. According to her it's nobody can pass the drug test, that's why they don't have employees. This was Veterans Boulevard in New Orleans, oh and she also said some of the people that were working in their office we're coming down from the Baton Rouge office everyday to help out.

In the end, not including the time I spent waiting to take and taking the written test. Over two days I spent seven and a half hours in the office of motor vehicles to take a motorcycle skills test that a bear could have passed.

For a service that 98% of the population has to deal with multiple times throughout their life THIS IS NOT ACCEPTABLE!!!! I was not pleased, but I had plenty of sympathy for the workers there. They all seem to be trying really hard and we're not happy themselves to be a staff of 10 people trying to deal with a room with a hundred and fifty people in it and more coming in constantly.

I know saying this will change nothing, but, NOLA GROW UP AND GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER. I've lived in several cities throughout my life, this is the only one where I've heard multiple local residents refer to their city as a third...

Absolutely Pathetic... There needs to be a ZERO STAR RATING.. This place & it's people need a major overhaul.

I mean I know about bureaucracy and red tape, but this is so far beyond unacceptable, until the Governor himself needs to be made aware of this colossal waste of tax payers money.

Let's start this:

July 13, upon entry, it's really standing room only. Against the walls... In the corners... Outside... Inside... Literally anywhere that space can made.

Next, you tell the recpetionist what you're visiting for; she bothers not to ask for documentation to substantial your visit; to ensure you have the proper paperwork to facilitate a successful visit. If this one simple effort were enacted, this would save people time and money. On my visit there on this Friday, July 13 I PERSONALLY witnessed a young man and his grandfather wait for the young man to get his license. After sitting for 5 or more hours, because they were in place prior to my arrival; they exited with disappointment on both faces after only being at the desk to be served for 7 minutes. I can not imagine what the problem was, but I know if the lack/issue were addressed when they arrived, they wouldn't have wasted time. Sadly, this was NOT the only instance of wasted time that I witnessed.

Then it was my turn up to bat. I arrived at the counter jokingly commenting on amount of time had to sit to get to this point and the clerk also joked. So all jokes aside and it's time for business. Before even THOROUGHLY reviewing my documents and because they didn't look like what something she'd seen before, she ATTEMPTED to reject me and my documents presented to obtain a "real id". She went as far as to accused me of being "an alien". Enough is enough. I realized she was trying to run me as they had the young man and his grandfather. Well if you know me and after sitting for 5 hours, I refused to leave with wasted time and a defeated attitude. I challenged what she was saying and requested a supervisor intervene. And as the supervisor began to review the documents, the clerk tried to point out what she saw as fallacies; I quickly corrected her and she began to argue with me. To which her supervisor appropriately silenced her and continued to review the documents.

I left with my real id and my registration sticker for my vehicle. I can say, this place is the worst of the worst. They lack organization. Some of them lack compassion for their fellow man. They are unable to problem solve and be critical thinkers.

The sad, sad, sad part about this whole things facility is that NO ONE AND I MEAN NOT A SOUL IS TRYING TO MAKE IT BETTER. GRANT IT, ITS A NEW FACILITY, BUT HAS THE SAME...

I never write reviews, but my experience today at this DMV location was the absolute worst I've had at any DMV anywhere in the country. After making an appointment online and verifying that I had the required documentation listed on the website, I arrived 15 minutes early and was told to get into a long seated line. I asked the woman who checked me in what the point of making an appointment was if one had to wait in line, and she told me that it was to "hold your place in line." Well, that translated into a 3 1/2 hour wait, where one is moved through the line by moving from one chair to the next chair (like musical chairs) as people at the front of the line get called to a window. There were no numbers (despite the fact that number displays were present and turned off) and only 4 of the 25 numbered work stations had people working to attend the over 100 customers who were waiting. If you're handicapped or elderly, forget it. There are absolutely no accommodations and you're expected to stand up and down as you move through the labyrinth of chairs. A wheelchair or walker would not fit into the rows. This branch is in breach of ADA accessibility laws given the way their "system" (if that's what you can call it) is set up. I should mention that at one point they started taking walk-in customers from row 3 at station number 6. What's the point of making a an appointment and then still being forced to wait in line for 3 1/2 hours, when people who walk in get serviced at a specific desk? Why aren't all four occupied desks (of the 25 total available) for those with reservations? Ah...the questions one asks at this DMV.... After 4 hours (including window time) I finally finished and was able to leave this DMV. My takeaway: If the lack of staffing is a result of budget cuts, then shame on our governor and our state. However, I see reviews from 5 years ago that articulate the same experience, so I think that the disaster of this particular DMV is unique to this location. I highly recommend avoiding this location at all costs. Go to ABC Title in Uptown (it's worth the extra $10 if you can afford it and you don't require in-person assistance from the DMV) or to the Westbank DMV, which is very efficient and organized by comparison. Stay away from this New Orleans DVM location unless you want to waste your entire day and stand up and down as you move through 100 different chairs. At least you don't have to do squats as part of your exercise workout that day! You've already done your squats at the DMV! Up and down, seat by seat. Ridiculous. It's truly like something...