Are DMV workers some of the Grumpiest and least Helpful people out there

The one I go to has a drive through for license tab renewal.

In Isle KC runs the private DMV office. Very helpful.

Totally depends on where you are going and if your prepared or not. I have had some really bad experiences when I worked in Columbia Heights for a while, that DMV was terrible, but you have to look around the room your in, it was a zoo, half the clients could barely communicate. I now either go to the Ham Lake one by the shop or Blaine by the house, honestly do most of our ordering tabs and whatnot online they show up and I put them on.

When I moved back from Maui and needed to get my Mn License again… I went to the DMV and they instructed that I needed to take the written test to get my MN license back ?!!! They didn’t test at that DMV, so I went to another BIGGER one where they tested. I waited in line 2 hours and 20 minutes to test. tested and decided to go back to the smaller DMV, as it would have been hours again. Went back to the smaller DMV, she is breezing through my license application and asks me if I want to keep my Motorcycle endorsement for $3… of course. She hits the button a couple times, looks perplexed and then calls over another gal. She hits the buttons a few times… then makes a phone call. Sometime recently, our government changed the rules and another states MC endorsement does not transfer to MN, without taking the written test. The gal was like WHAT ?? Since when ? Nobody bothers to tell us this ? So they want me to go back to the BIGGER DMV and take the written MC test… no way, not waiting another couple hours. Just forget the MC endorsement. Now mind you, I took my MC Test in Paynesville Minnesota, when I was 16. I had it for over 35 years in Minnesota, then moved to Hawaii, for a year and they recognize other states endorsements. Now when I come back… I have to re-test ? This state is so much a money grubbing state. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

Many on here have posted that it all goes well if you have the information needed to complete whatever you want from the DMV.
Sometimes that is next to impossible.
This is in Wisconsin.
Looked online for what I needed. Said 2 forms of government id. Ok I take Passport and DL with picture on it.
Not good enough. Needed my birth certificate.
Don’t know about everyone else but BC don’t have a photo on it and besides I’m sure I don’t look like what I did at birth if it did.

big_g wrote:

Now mind you, I took my MC Test in Paynesville Minnesota, when I was 16. I had it for over 35 years in Minnesota, then moved to Hawaii, for a year and they recognize other states endorsements. Now when I come back… I have to re-test ? This state is so much a money grubbing state. Grrrrrrrrrrrr

That is total BS!

River Falls has an EZ-Tab machine at one of the grocery stores. I pay an extra $9 fee for my tabs to get them from a vending machine, and it’s worth every penny to not have to go to Hudson and deal with that DMV.

Should have just registered your trailer as a new trailer, home built, less than 3500 lbs gvw. The state and feds will try to take every penny from you that they believe you owe. Right or wrong, that’s how it goes. MN also, in my direct experience, has a NASTY habit of demanding a signed bill of sale from the OWNER, even when the owner is dead. That was always a funny conversation the people in line behind me. “it doesn’t matter if he’s dead, he needs to sign the bill of sale” verbatim, from a MN DMV employee.

JoeMX1825 wrote:

I give them a break, they deal with hundreds of people everyday who A) don’t want to be there, so they are already in a bad mood B) most of the time don’t have the required paperwork needed C) Argue with them about not having the required paperwork needed as if they had something to do with it…all they are doing is following the policy and procedures they were trained on…nothing is personal unless you make it personal…

100% pure, undiluted truth.

Plus, as I always say, if you’ve got a problem that money can solve, you don’t really have a problem. You’ve got an expense.

I try not to get bogged down in negative vibes and bank my positive mojo for the REAL problems in life. The ones I can’t solve by whipping out the credit card.

You can renew your vehicle tabs online and they just mail them to your door.

KPE wrote:

Should have just registered your trailer as a new trailer, home built, less than 3500 lbs gvw.

Gotta be careful with this one. As usual, this little grift got overused and now they may well ask for receipts for materials/labor to prove it was shop built and/or to see the “homebuilt” trailer in person.

YES, I have personally been asked for receipts for a (legit) homebuilt trailer. Maplewood DMV. I tried to go to a different DMV in Woodbury, same deal. Luckily the builder was willing to write me a new receipt.

TheFamousGrouse wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>KPE wrote:</div>
Should have just registered your trailer as a new trailer, home built, less than 3500 lbs gvw.

Gotta be careful with this one. As usual, this little grift got overused and now they may well ask for receipts for materials/labor to prove it was shop built and/or to see the “homebuilt” trailer in person.

YES, I have personally been asked for receipts for a (legit) homebuilt trailer. Maplewood DMV. I tried to go to a different DMV in Woodbury, same deal. Luckily the builder was willing to write me a new receipt.

I have done this 9 times in the last 2 or 3 years buying older trailers, fixing them up and flipping them. Never once been asked for a material list build sheet or receipts. I’d definitely risk it. Tell them materials are from a metal shop scrap pile. No need for a builder write up. If you go over the 3500lbs then it becomes a issue.

My wife was one of those grumpy, least helpful people for about 12 years before she retired. They hear more B.S. in one day than some people do in a lifetime.
She became the “toy expert” at their office because we had a fish house, a boat and other toys that required trailers. She always claimed fishermen were some of the most difficult people to deal with, partly because they got so much bad advice on message boards. So many sportsmen think things still work the same as they did before 9/11 when Homeland Security started reviewing all boat related transactions in states that have a water border with a foreign nation.
Another issue was they often lied about things trying to avoid fees or complications but usually only made things more complicated than it would have been if they just went to the registrars office and asked a few questions before making up their story.

Pat K 75% of the info on this board is incorrect, so yeah you’re about right about the misinformation thing. It can be hard for some areas to get ahold of a DMV to ask questions though. I regularly answer calls from the metro because no-one else can answer their phone down there. We get alot of business from other counties in the summer because we can actually spend time to help get things straightened out usually.

Also, as I ran into, can you imagine trying to keep up with all the whims of our State Government ? They change a policy and the poor people at the DMV don’t hear a peep… they are only as good as the information they are given. I wouldn’t want the job… I hear they are hiring !

This ^^^

I had a kinda weird tittle issue with the last truck purchase and I talked to multiple people who kept having me call another division or office it was quite frustrating to say the least until I finally got someone who took the time to actually figure out what I needed to do.

True story from many years ago.
Bought a tow truck from a dealer. Everything is mailed in to DMV. Should get plates in 4 to 6 weeks.
6 months and 2 trips to local LE and still no plates.(This is before local DMV offices)
So going to Madison to main DOT office to get it cleared up.
Go in instructions in BIG LETTERS.
Take a number and fill out green form. Well the green form has nothing to do with commercial vehicles. So number is called go the “guy” at window 5. Won’t even listen to me. Rants THE GREEN FORM HAS TO BE FILLED OUT!!!!
So I go back fill in my name an address. That’s all I can do. Take a number again. Number is called and just my luck I get the same guy. This time he listens to me after giving me a dirty look because the green form is still not filled out.
Finally proceeds to tell me to go down the hall to The Corrections Office. Wasted 50 minutes that could have been solved in 10.
The lady in CO is going on break but asks me what I need. Tell her and she says I’ll take of this right now. 1 check and 5 minutes later out the door I go with plates and title. It can be simple if someone will listen on either side of the counter.

Like I said. More of just venting. I just think a fair # of them could be more friendly until the other person gives them a reason not to be. I’ve worked most my life in one form of customer service or another. I can tell you I was and am far more helpful to people who are respectful and nice than those who think getting all angry, mad, and get disrespectful is the way to go.

Here’s another tip- in WI trailers under 3500 gvw don’t require registration at all. Tell em it’s a Wisconsin trailer. Surely you have a friend or family member who would vouch that the trailer “lives” at their property in WI?

Location, location, location. There is one place we go to now that is great. Roomy and employees appear happy or at least content.

On-line works if you are a bit proactive in renewals.

North Dakota has license tab kiosks. Some are even in grocery stores in smaller town. Pretty much works just like an ATM. No reason MN cannot do that for regular auto-tab renewals.

I must have missed in the story where they were grumpy or unhelpful Sounds like you just didn’t want to pay the fees but they don’t make the rules.

Brittman wrote:

North Dakota has license tab kiosks. Some are even in grocery stores in smaller town. Pretty much works just like an ATM. No reason MN cannot do that for regular auto-tab renewals.

MN is test running kiosks for tabs in some Cub Food Stores. I’m sure they will be a hit.
North Dakota was way ahead of MN in online hunting/fishing licenses also.

Netguy wrote:

North Dakota was way ahead of MN in online hunting/fishing licenses also.

Every single license and stamp sale in ND is online now. You can’t buy anything in person. I know a few people who live there that don’t care for this change. If MN goes to that, I personally hope they still allow you to buy them in person as a secondary option. Not that I’m incapable of buying it online, I just prefer to visit a store and do it. Plus I buy other things while I’m there.

Getting there. Getting there real quick.

When I became a North Dakota resident I went to the DMV, they took my picture, and printed out my shiny new ND Driver’s License in about 5 minutes.

When I moved back to Minnesota 3 years later I went to the DMV, they sent me to the DMV Licensing Office, I had to take my written test, and then I received my shiny new MN Driver’s License in the mail like 3 months later.

But did you die?

Before the online sales for North Dakota we used to stop at the county
courthouse in LaMoure to buy our licenses. We went into the courtroom once and it was like going back in time. Built in 1907.

Riverrat wrote:

But did you die?

This directed at me?

gimruis wrote:

Every single license and stamp sale in ND is online now. You can’t buy anything in person. I know a few people who live there that don’t care for this change. If MN goes to that, I personally hope they still allow you to buy them in person as a secondary option. Not that I’m incapable of buying it online, I just prefer to visit a store and do it. Plus I buy other things while I’m there.

Can you not still buy them at places with a computer and printer, where they just do it online for you? Honestly I don’t remember the last time buying a license in person for any state. OK actually I do, it was Manitoba a few years ago because they didn’t have online licensing set up yet. Was mildly annoying adjusting the trip around buying a license. But no we did not die.

I do all vehicle/toy renewals online so never at the DMV unless I buy something. Maybe that’s why I don’t understand the old trope of complaining about the DMV

tswoboda wrote:

<div class=”d4p-bbt-quote-title”>Riverrat wrote:</div>
But did you die?

This directed at me?

LOL I don’t think he’s dead. He’s still here posting.

tswoboda wrote:

Can you not still buy them at places with a computer and printer, where they just do it online for you?

I’m not sure to be honest. I just know a couple people who griped about the change and not being able to buy it at a retailer anymore. Not everyone is tech savvy enough to buy it online. Generally the older generation has trouble with it. I know for a fact that my Father would not be able to do it.

KPE wrote:

River Falls has an EZ-Tab machine at one of the grocery stores. I pay an extra $9 fee for my tabs to get them from a vending machine, and it’s worth every penny to not have to go to Hudson and deal with that DMV.

I don’t understand WHY a person has to pay extra to do it yourself????