California DMV pro tip

"RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire" (ricerocketeer2)
10/24/2017 at 13:54 • Filed to: None

The California DMV online change of address form allows you to change the address on your driver license and on the registrations of three (3) vehicles all together. Pro-tip: don’t .

I submitted an address change form for 3 vehicles and only the first actually went through, which I’m now finding out about at registration renewal time. The DMV person I talked to basically said s**t happens, submit each one individually next time. And charged me 20 bucks for replacement stickers.

DISCUSSION (17)

Rock Bottom > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 14:19

When I moved to CA, I had a 10 minute argument with the DMV because they required me to surrender both of my Kansas license plates before they would issue me California plates for my car. Kansas only has one plate, and no, you can’t have it. They just couldn’t accept the fact that I only had one plate!!! Two tellers and a manager all fought me on this! Finally, I just told them I lost “them” and they accepted that answer and gave me my new plates.

Brilliance.

My Kansas plate is now hanging on my garage wall here in Michigan... next to both of my CA plates.

KusabiSensei - Captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs > Rock Bottom
10/24/2017 at 14:23

And yet they wonder why people are moving out of California.

functionoverfashion > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 14:32

General DMV pro tip (unrelated to your point, but relevant): If you’re doing something remotely complicated, call ahead and ask exactly what you need to do. Then wait a few days and/or call at a different time of day, get someone else, ask the same questions. Ask if they’re sure that’s all you need. If the answers are different (they are likely to be) then call a third time for a consensus. Ask if you can do it by mail.

I’ve done a lot by mail that I was told on the first call had to be done in person. I’ve also gotten vastly different answers to the same question. I will happily sit on speakerphone hold, and/or talk with DMV people on the phone from the comfort of my couch or desk, over visiting an actual DMV.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Rock Bottom
10/24/2017 at 14:41

should’ve given them a photocopy or just make a 2nd one out of cardboard and a Sharpie.

what is weird is they have back channel ways of handling grumpy people very promptly — see this twitter post:

https://twitter.com/ca_dmv/status/563399465281679360?lang=en

I was helping someone with an urgent issue requiring some docs from the DMV, saw a post like that, emailed cpdccssm@dmv.ca.gov and received an actual human reply shockingly quickly. (Probably human, never know with AI these days.) Seems like they have a people dedicated to these things although that email isn’t posted on the DMV website anywhere.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 14:45

I’m afraid of the CA DMV, just so many horror stories! I am flying there Friday, buying a car, and registering it that day. I fear that I will be stuck in the phantom zone, imprisoned forever or some shit. Im also going to be registering my Miata eventually but I will have time to make an appointment and such.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > Rock Bottom
10/24/2017 at 14:47

Haha this is hilarious! I literally would just start laughing at the people. Yeah I would be hurting my chances of actually getting anything done that day. But holy shit the intelligence level. I wouldnt be surprised if you said your old address was “Kansas City, MO” and they were like “NO THATS IN KANSAS!” and “THERE CANT BE TWO OF THE SAME CITY, YOU ARE WRONG”

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > functionoverfashion
10/24/2017 at 14:52

agreed, and that probably helps goes for anything gov’t agency related ... IRS, USCIS, DMV, state tax/treasury, etc.

There’s always hoops to jump through but it sucks when you’re told the about the wrong ones and miss others.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/24/2017 at 14:55

are you getting AAA? I’ve had it for 15 years (wow I’m old) and just realized they have most DMV services without the wait and grumpiness.

Wrong Wheel Drive (41%) > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 15:21

Maybe I should get AAA JUST for that reason. I do recall how easy it was going there with my girlfriend when she bought her car. I dont really want to pay for the towing but maybe its worth it just for that.

Thanks for the idea, i forgot about that!

For Sweden > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 15:23

Wow why do you hate government

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 15:44

I’m not optimistic you will actually make it through on Friday. If you have title in hand and proof of insurance you can probably delay registration for a few weeks until you can get an appointment.

Rock Bottom > Wrong Wheel Drive (41%)
10/24/2017 at 16:06

Lol, the DMV was bad but the 7-11 was worse! Dude carded me for a case of beer, when I handed him my Kansas license, he asked me “Is Kansas in the United States?” I laughed to keep from crying... then explained to him that Kansas is the geometric center of the United States. You can’t be more in the United States than you are when you’re in Kansas!

0pihl > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 16:09

I’m 70 and I’ve lived in California my entire life and I’ve NEVER had a problem with the DMV. I once registered a 50s Norton with an obviously restamped chassis number and they didn’t even blink. Make an appointment and have all your paperwork in order and it will be smooth as silk. As long as numbers match and you’re smogged it will be a breeze.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > 0pihl
10/24/2017 at 16:37

To be fair, I never had a problem in the days of paper forms. Doing things through their website can be an adventure though.

One of my vehicles was up for renewal way back just when the DMV was launching their online services. Literally. I registered, tried to pay, and got error messages. Decided to try the next day, and received an email later stating that they’d “reset the system” because they were still ironing out issues and I’d have to register again. I did, but with a new username, because they’d kept my old broken account around but inaccessible for some reason.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > For Sweden
10/24/2017 at 16:38

I lubs me some gubmit, that’s why I live in Californistan.

RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire > Highlander-Datsuns are Forever
10/24/2017 at 16:40

Said DMV critter asked, do you have AAA? Why aren’t you going there instead?

So I did. I guess that’s like “premium” DMV services or something.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > RiceRocketeer Extraordinaire
10/24/2017 at 16:42

I know so many people in CA who are AAA members for this reason alone. My local DMV wasn’t so bad, but I never had to do anything strange and was always prepared.