Department of Public Safety – Houston Townhurst

Visited again after a month or so for learners. I had my certificate from drivers ed. Came at 12. The same circumstances as last time. 40+ numbers ahead of me. Started my wait, however 1 hour into the wait and the front desk people announced that certain token series have the option to go to a mega center since they might not be able to process all the applications today. Just what I was waiting to hear. Thank God!!. Quickly got in line at the Gessner mega center from my phone, my number was assigned at 4:30, I was in and out in 30 mins.

This place is terrible waited 3 hrs in a smelly room like diapers worker told me my bills had to be 90 day recent and told me to come back tomorrow

Warning! If you are doing out-​of-​state paperwork, you are going to be royally screwed. They literally take 4 Texas residents per every 1 out-​of-​state person. This is completely unfair and that’s why I rate one star.

Worst service ever, wait 4 hours and only missed one document and the woman in station 3(with a bright fuschia lipstick) who is the rudest person I have ever seen in this service said bye in the I don’t want to serve you voice. I’ve been to other locations and they have better service than this one, if you just missed one small little thing I wrote you a note for comeback later one the same day or next day to add on so we can finished the process. This location is no, they don’t listen to reasonable excuse whatsoever, and one more thing they treated people who doesn’t speak English in a rude way, the refuse to find any of their employees to translate instead just sitting there and said they don’t understand what the customer said.

I had to get my license changed from out of state to Texas. I had read the reviews and made sure to get there early to be one of the first in lines. Line started forming around 7AM, and they open the doors right at 8AM. Luckily, I was the second in line and was out of there within 30 minutes. The clerks were very helpful and were joking around w the customers. That being said, the office was packed by 8:30AM, so I highly recommend getting there early! And check their website to make sure you have all the materials you need!

Have had to come here a few times and he honestly the wait is to be expected. There is no way around this lol. However service when it comes time is decent if you are polite. I mean it’s the simple rule of treat them how you want to be treated. Thanksgiving eve they open 8am and by 9am are at capacity so the line is out the door.

I went to the Texas Department of Public Safety on a Wednesday around lunchtime to renew my Driver License since it was expiring soon. When walking in, I talked to the front desk lady to get a paper ticket with a wait number on it. I wish they had separated their queues better because it took 2-​hours to finally get called up for less than 5 minutes of renewal work. People can renew their Driver License online, but I had to come in because I am not a U.S. citizen. My advice; if there are 40 numbers ahead of you, you have about 2-​hours to leave, get food, hangout, and come back. Don’t waste your time waiting in this hellhole. If you have the time, the best Texas Department of Public Safety I’ve been to is in Rosenberg at this address: 28 000 Southwest Fwy, Rosenberg, TX 77 471
Pros:
–Private parking lot
–There is a bathroom which isn’t the absolute worst of all time
Cons:
–Unorganized way of putting together queues (for renewals, waiting 2-​hours is a long time)
–Very cold (bring a sweater)

I’m not sure what it is but they are the rudest people I’ve even met. They remind me of IRS employees. That attitude that they know you have no choice but to take their crap, so they enjoy every bit of your misery.
I moved to Texas a few months ago so I have to change my address on driver license. Yesterday I got all my documents and after waiting in line for almost 4 hours the employee told me I need to bring my passport too. So I went back today after seeing the rude woman to get number and waiting another 3 4 hours I was told that I need to bring my sister cause she’s in lease of apartment too. I don’t know why cause I was on lease too. Anyway she came after 15 20 min but by the time she got there a woman that was working on number 4 wasn’t there anymore. So I asked her neighbor that where is she… And she respond that she was probably on break. When I say respond it doesn’t mean she opened her mouth I had to guess what she said! Anyway I went and asked a front woman if it’s better to get another number cause I didn’t know what time she’d be back. She said she’ll be back in 15 min. As soon as she came back I went to see her and first thing she asked was where was my number! I was like the other girl didn’t say anything about number and she called her (like some real criminal is going on) and she said no! After waiting 4 hours my sister and I had to go back.
How come a woman from yesterday said go back and get you passport and come back to same window without getting number but she didn’t do that?! Why the woman from yesterday didn’t say I need to bring my sister and passport together for getting driver license. I don’t know where the problem is but it’s definitely about management. Thy hire some uneducated people and I’m sure they don’t train them.

I decided to go to this DPS even after reading such bad reviews… that’s how much of a badass I am. My experience wasn’t too bad. I knew there was going to be a long wait so I meditated a night before and made a small sacrifice.
I came here to renew my driving license and since I am not a U. S citizen I had to do it in person (angry fist). My first time — I came way too early (around 6:30) and thought I would be the only one here… but no. there were people in the line already. waiting… hoping.dreaming. I was in and out within an hour but was missing some documents so they told me to come back. My second time I came a little later around 8:00 and waited almost 4 hours. The people at this location have a great attitude, real friendly and helpful.
The lady who I dealt with was very pleasant and helpful. She told me to go to the mega center the next time as there is less wait.
P.S: Make sure you bring all the right documents with you. I forgot my glasses and didn’t know there was a vision test for renewals. The lady told me to read off line 5 and I looked at it and was like is it a joke? There is nothing there. but after a lot of failed attempts and squinting I finally managed to read and passed the test. A miracle !! A true miracle … if this doesn’t make you a believer in God then I don’t know what will.

Sloooowest wait I’ve ever had to endure to get a license… technically Im still waiting. Came back to work to kill an hour or so, as one review suggested, then I’ll head back and wait some more. got there at 12:15ish and was given number 112. They were on 79. All the other large number groups were being called frequently, but ours were maybe 1 every 10 or 15 minutes. Why?! All I’m doing is changing my last name. Got all my paperwork filled out. Pce of cake right? Pfft! I wish I had made the trip out to another location because I’d be finished by now.
Don’t do it.
On another note, the lady at the front desk was a peach!

Upon walking in the place, two people automatically greet you. They ask you up front to go in line for a ticket.
Yes, the clerks who actually assist with getting your DL can be grumpy and short tempered. However, I had a pretty cool clerk.
Overall, I give this place a 5 star because it was super quick service. I cannot complain.

I came here for a driver’s license renewal at 7:45am, and was out by 8:30. I call that a win when it comes to the DPS, but I guess some other reviewers are more demanding than that. They let us in at about 7:55, and started calling numbers to the window at 8 on the dot.
Sure the building is not the newest and nicest, but I am pretty sure that tax money is better spent elsewhere than renovating the DPS.
The young man who helped me was super friendly and pleasant to deal with. I didn’t catch his name, but he was in window 5!
I’ve seen different requirements on what documents to bring, but for my RENEWAL as a non-​US citizen or resident, I just had to bring my about to expire license and my passport with my work visa. The period of time they renew your license for depends on when your visa expires, and not the standard amount of years that US citizens get.
They did not ask for my social security card, car registration, car insurance, home bills, etc like some others have said. Maybe that is only for people getting a license for the first time? They didn’t ask me for any of that the first time either, but I was 16 and wouldn’t have had any of those documents under my own name to show them anyways.
To sum it up, I had a pleasant experience here, and I will go back to renew here if I’m in Houston when my new one expires! :)

I have always had bad experiences when coming to the dmv but it was so fast! I arrived at 11:10am and left by 11:40am. That’s the fastest I’ve ever been at a DMV. When I first entered the doors, I saw how packed it was, but for renewing/​replacing licenses, it was pretty fast! Besides seeing a lady change her baby’s diaper at the entrance outside, I had quite a pleasant experience!

I am also surprised at the bad reviews. I was there this morning (I got there at 7:30) and they handed out DL renewal applications around 7:45. They opened the doors at 7:55 (they officially open at 8) and I already had my place in line. From sitting down at 7:55 I was leaving the facility at 8:15.
Every employee I interacted with was polite and professional.
I have nothing bad to say about this place, don’t buy the bad reviews.

I was real nervous reading all the reviews. I was so happy. I was in and out in 16 minutes for a DL renewal. The lines moved super fast. Everyone was friendly. Great A/​C!

I first went to the Dacoma Street office and after a 30 minute wait was told I was missing a vital piece of identification. The office served many people during my stay, all in logical numerical order based on their needs. No one complained about not being called, being skipped, or interminable waits. The desk staff was extremely helpful and went out of their way to assist me. They said the Townhurst office was closer for me (but that Dacoma was the best).
Townhurst is a nightmare! I didn’t have to wait outside (although that is typical, even though no one was in the ‘Welcome’ line, people are forbidden to enter until an employee allows it). My number, again, was in the 300’s (out of state, getting a new license). I sat next to a man who also had a 300 number and had been already waiting 2 hours. Discussions started around me – 2 hours, 3 hours. These were not exaggerations; our numbers were time-​stamped!
They posted the numbers on an electric sign. There was no logic for who was being called; 800 numbers were the winners in that they were called most frequently – for awhile. 300 numbers were few and far between. They would skip numbers, call for numbers that were way smaller, call five numbers for the same window all at once. And, if you commented (which I did), I was told I could go somewhere else.
They locked the doors at 5:00 and said we would all be helped. We looked around; there were more than 50 people there. The staff was going to be there for a long, long time. (At least we would be able to leave, though not soon.) Camaraderie built during this duration and when my number was called, cheers resounded.
All of my identification shows me with a hyphenated last name – ALL of it. And, where it asked for middle name, I left it blank. The staff person proceeded to ignore everything written and just gave me a middle name from my last name. I could only review my application after she had submitted it and I told her it was wrong. My name is hyphenated. «Oh, honey. We don’t do hyphens,» was her reply. I told her my name is hyphenated and it is my legal name. Fuss, fuss, fuss on her part. I was adamant and would not leave the window until I had true, legal documentation. According to my new state employers, my license has to reflect my legal name. More fussing, but some paperwork was changed.
Sooo…don’t go here. Travel farther and wait a shorter time for some semblance of civility and sanity. And, DPS: fix this place. Call these people on the carpet for their lack of professionalism.

For non US citizens applying for Texas drivers license bring: —
1-​Old US license.
2-​Social security card
3-​Texas car registration,
4-​Texas insurance,
5-​Passport with work visa,
6-​Home lease agreement,
7-​Utility bills,
A lot of patience, then you can get your license! I arrived, got my number, waited briefly and got called, was told needed #2, so went back home, got it and came back. got another number. Waited another 70 minutes and then was able to get my license. Note, they do take away your previous license so I took a photocopy day before just in case.
Have fun!!!

It’s so funny that everyone complains about how horrible the DPS is.
I came here on a Friday around 2 pm to pay for my driver’s license test fee, which was $ 11, and they only allow you to pay in person at the DPS. It was ridiculously crowded inside. Every single seat was taken. People were piled against each other at the door and there were people sitting on the ground outside. I thought to myself, «oh lord, I’m going to be here until they close at 5.» I heard a man next to me complain about how he and others had been waiting since noon and earlier. I waited for 15 minutes, heard my number, cried out «Hallelujah! Bye suckas!» and paid my fee.
Then I had to come again on a Wednesday to take my driver’s license test. My appointment was at 1, and I got there at 11:45. The lady told me to get in line with my car at 12:55, but since I was already there, I got in line anyway at noon, despite the fact that they supposedly stop testing from 11 – 1. They started testing at 12:45, and I passed my test in a few minutes.
I don’t know if the DPS is a horrible place. I mean it seems like it because it stinks from being so crowded and the workers don’t give a crap about anything. I just consider myself lucky.

nice employees but my god the wait!!! You force me to come in to renew for some unknown reason then I have to wait with people attempting some form of English who didn’t bring the right paperwork. I was up to the counter and done in 3 minutes. Ridiculous. And keep all the lines open

Hahahahahahhahahahaa
I wrote this review when I first joined Unilocal and someone just liked one of the pictures I posted back then so I went back to see how things were going and it cracks me up to see how many other poor souls have endured the agony … lmfao and crying at the same time !!