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8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
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Working Time and Location
Try online first! Before you head to the DMV, visit the DMV website to see all the online services you can complete from your computer or smartphone, or with a virtual agent.
Monday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Tuesday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Wednesday
9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Thursday
8:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Friday
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Saturday
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What clients say about Redwood City DMV in Redwood City (CA)
While the DMV itself is pretty typical, there are some people who are quite nice and polite but there are some who are absolutely not.
Jennifer from Redwood City DMV is an incompetent employee. She was rude and impolite not just to me, but to everybody else she attended.
Pretty shocked to see the DMV still retains such employees.
If you are going to the DMV and end up with Jennifer or someone like her, better be prepared to not lose your cool and handle it calmly, because these people are not going to be nice to you. Good luck!
They're so rude and unhelpful. They blame you for their mistakes, and won't clarify what they mean. They give you unhelpful attitude. When you ask for clarifications, they just say "did you not hear what I said?"
They should fire everyone who can't do their job with respect and replace them with someone who can.
Went in to get my DL instruction permit on a Tue and it was a smooth experience. I used the 'Get in Line' feature on the CA DMV website, joined the virtual line at 9:01am and was 40th (it's possible that the virtual line opens 8am onwards when the DMV opens and that's why I already had so many people ahead of me - but I only checked at 9 per the feature timings on the website). After about 1.5 hours of waiting at home I was at the 10th position and by the time I reached the DMV around 10:45, waited a couple of mins in the walk-in line outside, and then got to the waiting room seats, I was 6th. There were maybe another ~30min of waiting seated inside and ~30min for the document checks + vision test at the counter, photo-taking and for me to take the knowledge test and finally collect my permit (with short queues and clear instructions for each of those steps).
I left the office a little ahead of noon and both the appt and walk-in lines outside were empty, though the seats inside were full. The staff managing the lines outside and at the windows inside were all courteous, polite and helpful. :)
Go to ANY OTHER DMV. Showed up 8am for real ID. 40+ people in line with one attendant handing out tickets. Go inside and things are moving so slowly, you would think time is standing still. 15 minutes after getting my ticket and only 1 number has passed. You will be here ALL DAY LONG. This is criminal.
Wish I could give negative stars if possible! Not from the RWC area but I went to the DMV in RWC solely for my behind-the-wheel driving test because it was the only location somewhat close by that worked with my availability. The staff at the entrance and driving test counter were great and accommodating, sorted out any concerns I had beforehand. However once it got to my turn to take my driving test with the examiner, I felt very unwelcomed, despite trying to be as nice and understanding as possible. The first instance that ticked me off by my examiner, Arman, was that he gave me a very judgy attitude at the start towards me for not getting my license years ago once he asked for my age (I’m in my early 20s and Asian btw, not even old at all like…) and it’s honestly hella unprofessional to act that way just because someone didn’t get their license at 16 or 18 or whatnot, so what. There’s many people who get their first licenses at 25, 30, 50, 60, 70, you name it. Well, that’s not even the worst part sadly. The other instance that REALLY ticked me off was during my driving test when I made a mistake towards the end and the examiner went completely ballistic on me for it, it almost felt like he purposefully wanted to make me cry and feel bad about myself. And the funniest part?? The mistake I made wasn’t even close to life-threatening, no dangerous maneuvers, nothing like that, literally went ~10-15 mph on the road and just couldn’t see very well what was in front of me which caused my brain to spiral and stop where I wasn’t supposed to. I admitted that I made a mistake, but there’s absolutely no reasonable occasion to yell at me like I’m your servant and treat me like I committed the worst atrocities known to mankind. No surprise that there’s a decline in the number of people obtaining their driver’s licenses, the driving classes are expensive as hell no matter where you go and the DMV examiners are so unwelcoming and judgmental too!
On my 2 recent visits to this office the service was exemplary. Courteous, competent, friendly and most efficient. Only one minor problem my DL and Separate ID required 2 photos to be taken. But since only one was tsken I will need to make another trip to get it done.
Had an appointment for a REAL ID - filled the form online and uploaded evidence. I was called to the counter about 5 minutes past my appointment time. The entire process (including having the picture taken in a separate line) took about 10 minutes. Very pleasant experience.
Went for driving test today and had a pleasant experience. Staff were nice, and the examiner Yasmin was professional, calm, and clear with instructions! Spent a total of 1 hour for the whole process. (MUCH less stressful than in San Mateo imo)
Apparently the people behind the driving test counter are so busy making a scene by yelling at and complaining about testers for "being late" (i.e. waiting in line until it's past the appointment time) because that clearly takes less time than a simple, "You need to reschedule."
Then there's the racist examiner who has a personal grudge against anyone who isn't "one of them".
Wonder why everything takes so long and why everyone is leaving unhappy.
DMV in Redwood City, and that’s understandable. Dealing with long waits and unhelpful service can be exhausting, especially when you have important questions that online services can’t answer properly.
I have tried visiting at different times of the day with Sometimes, early morning or midweek appointments have shorter wait? Not is the same! If something goes wrong they send us again to the line. We need also another DMV because it is not enough.
Bro… this place is painfully slow. Like, straight outta Zootopia, when the sloth is trying to process your papers and you’re aging in real time. That’s exactly the vibe.
And don’t get me started on the driving test instructors — rude for no reason. Like, sorry Karen, I’m just trying to get my license, not ruin your day.
So here’s what happened: my driving school was showing me the test route, right? Just driving by the DMV like every other student does. I’m in the car with my learner’s permit and boom — cops pull us over. Apparently, you’re not allowed to drive the test route during the day with a permit??? Make it make sense. It’s a public street. It’s not Area 51.
They treated us like we were committing a crime or something. And yeah, I get it’s the state’s rules, but the way they handled it was hella dramatic and lowkey disrespectful.
Honestly, this DMV just feels like it’s stuck in 2004. The vibes are dusty, the service is slow, and everyone acts like they hate being there — including the people who work there.
If I could give 0 stars, I would. But I gotta give 1 just to post this.
Redwood City DMV = not the move.
Karla was the worst drive test examiner ever. She's extremely rude, so much negative energy. She will literally yell at you. Ended up filing a complaint with management who set us up with a different examiner which went well.
Complete incompetence. Made up rules for getting a REAL ID on the spot and claimed that you needed 2 proofs of physical address and 1 proof of mailing address (it's the other way around). Despite being proven wrong otherwise on the DMV website, I was still prohibited from continuing on with my application.
Went to the San Jose DMV on Flora Vista right after, they processed the exact same application with no hitches.
I went for driving test. The woman only gave me five minutes for me to find my car registration. I wait in the queue and later in she messed up my documents and said I got sent out. But she didn’t pass me the paperwork which I don’t know what it is. Terrible experience. They could be nicer.
Avoid going to the Redwood City DMV on Fridays and Mondays especially if you don't have an appointment as it can get very busy. Instead of waiting I went home and was able to process a title change online with the DMV website. They also have Kiosks such as in Safeway where certain procedures and registrations can be done.
The service is absolutely unacceptable! The employees show a complete lack of empathy for customers who are waiting in line for 2 to 3 hours. They appear indifferent, simply clocking in and out without any regard for the experience of the customers. This level of customer service is entirely unacceptable.
Honestly, this place is a hit or miss like any other DMV location. The place itself isn't too big, but they have a DMV kiosk, which makes the most simple things go fast.
My past few visits, it looks like they are limiting the services they do here. Which I found kind of confusing. They are pushing for you to do the majority online nowadays. Registration, renewing your driver's license, and even disabled placards.
Of course, priority is given to appointments, but I felt walk-ins are the bottom to be taken care of. It seems like they have fewer people working here, too, which make wait times a lot longer.
I tried coming here a few times this week and waited over 2 hours. I checked to see how much longer to wait, and they told me the average wait time to be helped is at least 300 minutes?! I left. The employee told me it's from all the people doing Real ID. Might try to go another day when I'm not in a rush.
My recommendation is to schedule an appt. Or go to AAA if you have it, and it's an easy transaction.
This DMV used to be my favorite. But my last 2 visits have been awful just because of one agent who tried to help me both times. After waiting in line for 3 hours this south Asian( Indian?) lady returned me the first time saying she cannot accept the official government notice and needs physical id card to renew my DL. I came after a week bringing my physical id as she asked and unfortunately she was the one to help me again and she returns me again saying my card isn't active. I got my renewal id card and have receipt notice for the last one too. She is asking me to bring something I don't have or come after my license expired. So stupid!
Our experience at DMV was terrible! The black female examiner was so rude to me, yelling when I was a bit slow near construction. It wasn’t safe to drive there 30 mph. Driving is about safety! Overall she failing me unfairly. All systems seams unfair, because examiner could do whatever she want and she was so unprofessional! I believe it is important for them to be fair and professional.
I went in a 8:05 and was out at 9:15. I was getting real ID, the lady at mine didn't accept one and of my documents and laughed in my face about it even though I had them pre approved. But I brought extras (ALWAYS BRING EXTRA DOCUMENTS THEY DO NOT CARE THAT YOU HAVE TO TAKE OFF WORK TO GO TO THE DMV LITERALLY THE SOME OF THE MEANEST PEOPLE ON THE PLANET WORK AT THE DMV) But I was in and out and thats all that matters
WITH APPOINTMENT about a 3 hour wait for a written test. They should waive fees at the very least. Also, they could at least be honest at the start, I could have gone to work for a couple hours.
Had an extremely terrible experience here for service.
I had an appointment in the morning, and I decided to use a paid time off day to come at exactly the appointment time. When I arrived they just say if you don't have a certain document you can't do it now so I went to a nearby Fedex for the document. 20 minutes later I went back and the arrogant lady at front desk told me I had to wait for another two hours because they couldn't hold the exact place in queue for me again. Such behavior only shows insufficient communications and training. Please do better. California is a well-established state but the experience is too bland.
I've encountered a system glitch which causes my application to have no record in their system which is not my fault at all. The lady at window 10 is very unprofessional and rude as she keeps questioning me why I came into the office 6 months after passing the online exam which is completely irrelevant and blames me for everything. She is so impatient and unkind and she didn't even spare 5 minutes to help me resolve the issue but directly transferred me to the manager, who actually is very capable and help me solve the issue. The waiting time is around 2 hours always. It's two stars bc the lady at the gate and window 14 plus the manager are nice in answering questions and resolving issues.
My experience at this DMV location started out very upsetting but was thankfully resolved. During my initial driving test, the examiner seemed to have an attitude from the beginning. Despite completing the test correctly, she disqualified me as she claimed I made a left turn incorrectly by turning from the right lane instead of utilizing the left lane, which was simply not true. I made 6-7 left turns in total and had been driving for 12 minutes, I did not make any mistakes whatsoever. This was entirely made up.
After failing me unfairly, she was laughing and kind to the next applicant, which felt even more disheartening. I couldn’t help but feel that her treatment of me may have been influenced by bias, as I am a white woman engaged to a black man (who was with me that day) and the examiner was a black woman. This made the entire situation feel personal and deeply upsetting.
Thankfully, the manager, Maria, was incredibly kind and professional. She listened to my concerns patiently and arranged for me to retake the test immediately with a different examiner. I passed without issue, which confirmed that my driving was correct all along.
While I am grateful for the manager’s efforts to address the situation, I believe it’s critical for all examiners to treat applicants with fairness, professionalism, and respect. Personal biases, whether intentional or not, have no place in a testing environment, and every applicant deserves an objective and supportive experience.
What can I say. Nothing but frustration starting with the gate keeper Brandon. He gives wrong numbers, does explain why he did that. Tells you to get in line again and gives you a new number. No supervisor in sire. Noone to complain to. They just don't care. This organization needs a major reform. Not service oriented
Still needed to wait in a short line even though I had an appointment. My appointment time was 10:10. I arrived there at 10:00 and waited in line for 15 minutes to check in, get a number, and sit. I waited for another 30 minutes to go to a window and start processing my application. The representative was very nice and friendly and talked a lot with me. Overall, not a bad experience.
Came a bit after opening to finish real id renewal with no appointment. I was prepared to spend hours but it was extremely efficient, I didn't even wait for 10min to go to the window and then 5min or so to get my picture taken. Staff was friendly and helpful too.
Remember that Star Trek episode where everyone on the ship was suddenly fighting and getting mad at each other? That's the DMV. If humans ever colonize space, the surest way to ensure our extinction would be to have a DMV on the colony. The DMV is the epitome of rock bottom broken bureaucracy. If there was ever a case for the privatization of a public organization, this is it. If the DMV was a private company with any competition whatsoever, it would have a market share of 0% and go out of business on day 1. In the 21st century, I can purchase or return almost any product in the world with a single click of a mouse button, I can check into flights on an app, I can even go through Customs in most countries via an automated kiosk in about 10 seconds, but renewing my driver's license is an absolutely fraught and debilitating experience in California. I make an appointment online, but when I arrive, there's already a 10 minutes line out the door for people who have already made appointments and been given a time to arrive. To make matters worse, the appointments line is in DIRECT COMPETITION with the non-appointments line, which is an instant recipe for irritation for all people involved. It's no wonder that a hired out security guard is monitoring the check in lines at additional tax payer expense. Add to that, people cutting in line, only 1 person serving BOTH lines at the same time, and there being no logical system in place to serve people - apparently the line that starts complaining verbally the loudest gets served? When I sighed after finally being called, the lady checking me in complained to me that "I was mad" I didn't say anything , I just looked irritated. When I tried to diffuse it by saying "It's ok, I'm not mad.", she very unprofessionally insisted "No, You ARE mad.". I then tried to diffuse it a second time by holding up my hands and saying "I understand, it's ok.". She then countered me a second time and said "You DON'T understand.". Amazingly done DMV... an amazing experience. By the way, I intentionally posted the most uninspiring picture I could take of the DMV building in order to reflect my experience, a featureless expanse of grey brick in a parking lot. Hey Elon Musk, want to be the world's hero again? Fix the DMV experience. I mean, is it designed to be broken and irritating and confusing at all levels? It needs to be ripped up and redesigned from the bottom up and top down with the needs of its customers in mind. Appointments should mean something and you shouldn't even be able to go in without an appointment. That will solve your first problem immediately.
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