Early last year a controversy erupted between the local Sequim agent who ran our vehicle licensing office and the County Auditor. Long simmering disagreements led, eventually, to the office being shut down. This meant that any business that locals wanted to conduct in person had to be done in Port Angeles. As a former Californian I’ll spare the details, but most things short of a root canal compare favorably to my experiences with the Dept. of Motor Vehicles in that fair state. So driving to Port Angeles to register a trailer last summer wasn’t bad. Dealing with the clerk and the paperwork at the licensing office was fine. Even standing in line for 40 minutes wasn’t terrible. But seeing the new Licensing Depot front and center on Washington Street is a welcome sight. It’s in the same shopping center as J.C. Penney’s and across the street from Safeway.
We recently picked up our WA licence plates at the Sequim MVD in no time at all. Now, when we move to Sequim full time, we’ll need to get our drivers licences in Port Angeles.
You are a patient woman. The new office looks like it will probably be for more convenient for you/
So, is this office privatized? I like the term ‘Depot’. It sounds less governmental and more friendly than a DMV. The regulations for driver’s licenses and license plates in Florida and rather unusual. I hadn’t been inside a DMV since I moved to Florida (13 years ago), until last year, when it was required due to a federal law that we had show ourselves in person. Heck, I loved the convenience of renewing everything online. But, the problem is, some folks haven’t had their eyes examined or had a new photo ID in 20+ years.
I can hear the joy in your words! Thank goodness they’ve moved closer to you.
Something happened in Marion County, Florida, a few years back. It was quite unusual. Government bureaucrats in the licensing department crawled out of their Neanderthalic caves (cubicles) and actually made some beneficial changes in the system. That’s almost like a religious epiphany in Florida where entrenched bureaucrats bought and paid for by folks who want to suck all the water out of our aquifers and sell it to the public or folks who think the taxpayers should fund more roads to nowhere because we “need” them, or folks who give away the store to get a business or sports stadium to locate in the community, said bureaucrats being most reluctant to make any changes that does not fill either they pockets on the side or their campaign coffers.
But change they did. It’s now very easy to renew a driver’s license on line or change an address, etc. And if you have to to into one of the new Tax Oppressor’s … er, Tax Assessor’s offices, you’ll find lots of clerks, some of which are actually friendly and one or two who know what they are doing. That’s an 180 from what things were like just a few years ago.
Glad to know good things are happening in Washington, too. And by the way, if you’re interested in some great Florida land just waiting to be developed, let me know. In fact, send me a check and I’ll send you a map how to get there. Oh, I guess I should mention that it’s in the Everglades. But, not to worry, our governor, who is, as you know, a criminal and someone who should be behind bars for the greatest Medicare fraud in the history of the world, has approved this sale, and because he’s turned down Medicaid assistance and has cut most every program that would help the poor and needy has ready cash to back up his approval.
Yes, Kay I well remember those DMV days! Horrible. At least we got automatic renewals occasionally but HORRORS if we had to go in. Don’t miss them at all!