Department of Motor Vehicles

Pretty chill and downtown. Just make sure you get there way before 4pm if you are going to take a test, the first time I went to get my Oregon drivers license it did not work out because my number was called at 4:07pm, and they close the testing center at 4pm. Surprise! I had to go back the next morning to go through the waiting process again. My morning experience was a lot more straight-​forward and less stressful.

The online average wait time said eight minutes. I’ve been sitting here 45 minutes and they are still ten numbers from me. How can this possibly be so slow? Maybe it’s because they only put two people behind the counter. Ridiculous.

My experience at this dmv was not too unlike the dentist awaiting 7 root canals. Wait time was twice what was estimated, terribly uncomfortable feng shui, unfriendly and slow staff, they made me remove my eye glasses for the picture, the picture in which I blinked and they didn’t give me the option to retake unlike the staff taking pictures not 5 minutes earlier… and the cherry on top of this madness??? No gd bathrooms!!! Insane

It’s DMV.
No one likes to go there but it’s one of those necessary evils of life. Forced into the lines of government oppression… oh wait I’m not writing a screenplay here. I actually didn’t mind the people working here but some of the other people certainly made me scratch my head, and in one case get angry.
It’s pretty simple though, there are signs, they have numbers, they give instructions.
1) Get a number
2) Wait for your number and go!
Simple right? I would think. I would also think that given you have probably 30 minutes of wait time to fill out necessary paperwork you’d have it done by the time you’re up but nah not for some people. One person gets up and in line and 50 others follow forcing the women behind the counter to continually tell everyone to just calm down and wait for their turn (it’s like watching a kindergarten class).
Anyway, I’m oversharing but I’m sitting behind a guy in line and he’s laying into the woman behind the counter because HE brought outdated documentation and she couldn’t accept it. She of course has a Russian accent and this, um…(insert colorful expletive here) tells her «This passport is more g-​damn American than you are!» At which point I have to interject with some colorful metaphor of my own because of my displeasure at watching him act this way. He glances back but surprisingly doesn’t engage, she points out she doesn’t make the laws and she also doesn’t change them, and then he’s on his way.
4 stars because if I were the poor lady behind the counter I’d probably be unemployed after that conversation. +1 for cool composure and then continuing on in her day!

Pretty fast and easy.
I arrived after 4 on a Friday. I was there maybe 45 min to renew tabs. Excellent people watching. No dress code whatsoever. No WiFi. Cash or check only but there’s an ATM on site.
Their cashier said there’s been talk of accepting cards in the nearish future! We’ll see!

Okay, so I’m probably the only person to give the DMV 5 stars, but there’s a reason for my madness!
*I don’t work and got the time to sit in the lobby waiting hours for my number to get called.
I’ve always loved that no matter what walk of life you come from you’ve got to take a number and wait under the florescent lights of the DMV. On one side of you you’ve got a businessman wearing a $ 3,000 dollar suit and on the other side you’ve got a homeless man! I always wear sunglasses and pretend to have my earphones in and on… It’s a case of cultural anthropology smack in your face!
Yes, the DMV sucks at everything, except taking your money!
***Just remember that the DMV only takes cash or checks. NO DEBIT/​CREDIT ANYTHING.

Now this is how a DMV should work. I’ve been to this DMV twice now and both times I got out under thirty minutes. Please note that this is a limited DMV. I’m not exactly sure what services they do or do not provide.
However, they do let you change your title/​registration/​tags over to Oregon if you’ve just moved from out of state. I was shocked how easy it was. A women pointed me to the right forms right when I walked in and by the time I finished filling them out, my number was called. The person that helped me was nice and knowledgable and got me processed very quickly. They also don’t take credit cards but they do have an ATM and take checks. They have signs posted all over that they don’t take credit cards but it seemed like most people didn’t realize until after they got to the window then held the line up while they went to the atm. Read the signs people.
I also had to go back recently because I lost my license. Again my experience was pleasant and smooth. Was called within 15 mins of taking a number and my interaction lasted all of 5 minutes.
The location of this DMV is great. So close to my office. So easy to go during my lunch break and left me plenty of time to still eat.

Seriously — I have been to this dmv several times and every time I have been there I have been in and out in less than an hour. Granted, it’s usually just for paperwork, but once I took a knowledge test (take the online quizzes on the dmv website — the questions come straight from them!!).
The woman who comes around when people are sitting in the waiting room to make sure everyone has the paper work they need BEFORE they get to the counter. Most employees are super helpful, friendly, prompt an actually seem like they somewhat enjoy their job (with the exception of the lady I dealt with this morning — seriously — your rudeness first thing in the morning was completely unwarranted. My car is registered in clackamas county for a reason). But one bad apple doesn’t ruin the entire dmv.
I highly recommend this dmv if you have something fairly simple to do! Easy, fast and friendly!

People who work there are… I should say unintelligent. I asked one lady if i may study for the computer test for twenty min before taking it since i needed some time to look over (i was changing my license from wa), she said yes. Then she tells me i need to take it immediately since she accidentally signed me up already. If i dont take it right away i might be marked as failed. So she told me to just sit down and read through. So i was doing that and the other lady kicked me out. I explained to her what happened and told her if i am kicked out, i need my refund since the employee clearly made a mistake. I had to wait forty min in line before that so i wasted an hour total. Worst customer service ever, cynical old ladies and some younger stupid ladies that make mistakes alll the time. They are super slow so expect an hour wait after 1pm

Double check the website for any information, documents needed, etc. Come prepared with all of the correct documents. Also, bring a lot of patience because you are in for a long wait.

Seriously. So.Slow. Just go to the one is SE because it’s way faster. This one had about 50 people waiting in one small room w no AC and no water. And seriously there were about two employees for most of the two hours I was there.

Expecting to be in for an hour+ ordeal when I needed to renew my license, I had been putting off my DMV excursion for months.
This morning, I decided to go in at 9AM to avoid the lunch rush and hopefully keep it under an hour. Not only did the visit take less than 20 minutes (maybe even less than 10), the employees were kind, energetic, and competent… not what I’m used to at the DMV!
Keep up the good work, Guys. I would drive 2 hours for this experience, and it’s only a 5 minute walk from work.

This was the worst 2 DMV experiences I have ever had, they deserve no stars. One employee even argued with me when I mentioned my frustration! I will be contacting the manger about my experience because it was actually inhumane!
First off, they have no bathroom and both days I waited over 2 hours, close to 3 the first day.
Second, they call the test a «knowledge test» which is highly deceptive. Let me start by saying, I am a reasonably educated individual. Perhaps even a bit more so than an average Joe. I have been driving for over 15 years, accident and ticket free. It is reasonable to expect I could pass a «knowledge test» without issue. NO I couldn’t and I suspect a genius couldn’t either because the test is the worst written test. It uses no critical thinking at all, it’s all completely rote memorization of bizarre «facts»! It is obvious it pulls from a database of questions that I am sure have no evidence behind their efficacy! Some of the «facts» it tests on are laughable. I use the term «facts» loosely because I’d like to see the evidence that proves looking left before looking right is how you have to scan an intersection!
Also be warned, no one greets you at this DMV. The counter workers call numbers and one guy with a clip board goes around calling different numbers just to confuse everyone. The counter girls don’t check your ticket number so PPL do cut frequently. I honestly think it’s because the clip board dude just confused everyone. Lame!
So back to the inhumane part, I find out 2 hours and 45 mins in that I will be taking a test. Then when I do find out from the man with his clipboard he offers no other advice. No mention of the book! I mention I have to go to the bathroom. He says it’s 2 blocks away and looks at me precariously over the tops of his glasses. I look at him in pain and he looks away and says, «tell the lady at the counter». So I ask «I can go before test?». Without eye contact he says yes. Okay… So… 15 more minutes go by because PPL accidentally cut in front of me. Clipboard guy had them stand in line behind PPL at the counter even thou their number was after mine and he left me sitting in the back.
Anyway, I finally go just stand there and make it to the lady at the counter. I immediatly tell her I need a restroom she takes my paperwork and tells me she needs 5 dollars for the test and ignores me. I restate, «miss, I need a bathroom». She looks me in the face expressionless and points behind me to the one last computer open. And says, «go there to take your test». She is obviously very passively aggressively saying, too bad you have too pee… take the test or leave and waste the last 3 hours you just spent sitting here.
BOTH workers should have asked me if I knew there was a test
It’s inhumane that I was not offered time to go to the bathroom!
No one ever mentioned the book, I had to ask for it after I failed.
What is this fail rate at this DMV?
I am determined to find out and find out how long it’s not been remeditated! Because the most maddening part of my experience was that on day 2… I totally noticed my day 1 experience was a trend!!!
…PPL waiting hours then being told 10 minutes before that they would have a «knowledge test». The questioning look on ppls faces as they process this news and also watch clipboard guy’s face for any shread of extra information. Clip board guy sitting there looking aloof offering no other advice. Then coming to silent conclusion… oh that I can pass a «knowledge» test. Then they start the test, you can hear their distress as they that the test. Then they slink away after failing the retarded test… Not knowing they are the majority but feeling awful.
Major FAIL! Clipboard dude… your the one who should feel bad. It only took me 2 hours to notice this trend and come up with a plan to help PPL. How long have you worked there?!
Maybe wait times wouldn’t be so bad if they warned people. Hey you won’t pass this test without reading this book.
Then the DMV would not get 5 extra dollars out of everyone.
Well that’s cool but my extra 5 dollars bought you time with me. THAT’S right it bought you me in your face about how inhumane this DMV is! This Unilocal post is just one step I plan to take in an effort to help this DMV improve.
The «greeter» aka «clipboard dude» needs to stand at the front and check PPL in! Before they wait hours or even take a number. The greeter needs to make sure PPL are prepared in everyway… Including that they have read the book for the «knowledge» test.
The test needs to have the questions reviewed and stats taken… Bad questions should be tossed out or improved! Things that have no evidence to support then should not be in this test!
Also this DMV must give ppl the option to come back and take the test without penalty or presumed penalty!

This was a smooth ride, so to speak. I went in, read a little of the information test booklet and took my exam. I was out of there with no appointment in about two hours. I arrived at 9am and was done by 11am with DL in hand. I hated to give up my California DL, but it came to pass and now I have finally taken the Oregon leap. And I should also mention that the employees are indeed very helpful.

This is the non-​stereotypical DMV. The employees are nice and courteous, they give you a detailed explanation on what to expect and they are fast. Every time I’ve been at this location I got everything done within 45 minutes.
The woman that helped me last time (very prompt and nice Asian lady) even gave me tips to extend my ID (applied under a different alien status, now getting my residency. So my ID is «limited term» for now)
I also like that the DMV now allows you to do some stuff online, like address changes. They send you the sticker to your address at no charge. In addition, the website is pretty clear on what documentation you need to take with you, and you can also have the forms downloaded to save time.

DMVs have a stereotype, nasty disgruntled workers who don’t seem to care, but this is the second one I’ve been to in Portland which was cool.
Went in, pick a number from the machine and sat. Well lit inside, not dreary looking. I do wish they had a table with 2 attached pens, like at the post office, (because someone Always forgets their pen and need a surface to write on).
Went in to change my address, simple task; not even a week later got the update sticker in the mail.
I’ve been in some Nasty DMVs, this is not one. Appreciate that its by the MAX light rail too.

I always brace myself and dread when I have to go to the DMV. However, my experience here was just the opposite of it.
I originally went on a Friday afternoon around 2pm and the place was packed. Up on the screen they had tips on how to avoid a long line which included coming in on a Tuesday, Wed, or Thursday before lunch. I took their advice and headed back Tuesday morning. What a pleasant experience.
I got there 5 minutes after it was opened and I was the 14^th in line. I don’t think I waited more than 15 minutes. Being from out of state and just married, I had a slew of papers that needed to get straightened out and was a bit terrified of what they were going to say. They didn’t bat an eye and walked me through the process. Very friendly, patient workers — not what I was expected. I will be returning to do all of my DMV related things there!

I must be cursed with having bad experiences, well, everywhere.
Let me save you some time:
1. joint closes at 5pm, and your number must be called before 4pm if you want to do anything license-​related. Might not be true, but may as well pretend like it is.
2. bring a passport, an electricity bill, plenty o’ cash and a fucking novel.
3. avoid the condescending jack ass (who probably thinks of himself as a DMV deity) that likes to raise his finger, lower his eyes and tell you «let me finish» when it appears you’re about to open your mouth to ask a question. He also locks the door at 5PM – so, you know, he’s like, super powerful.
Keep these three details in mind, and your experience is bound to be less miserable than mind.

The first time I came here to get an Oregon driver’s license, they wouldn’t accept a photocopy of my lease, so I had to go back to the landlord to get it signed in blue pen. (Apparently there’s an epidemic of people forging leases that I didn’t know about.)
The second time, I realized I’d left my Georgia license at work. Oops.
The third time, (and this is embarassing) I failed the written exam by one question. (You can turn left from a two-​way street onto a one-​way street at a red light here, apparently. Or they asked «What percentage of accidents in Oregon involve drinking?». I’m no statistician, but there’s room to quibble over what «involve» means. If the passenger of a car that was T-​boned is tipsy, does that count? What if it was the driver had had two glasses with dinner, but they were completely not at fault in the accident? Anyway, this prompted me to get and read their little booklet.)
The fourth time, I got 97% on the written test, and got my Oregon license. (With a picture that makes me look drunk, so whenever I get carded, they probably think they’re going to have to cut me off later.)
The fifth time, I tried to get a temporary tag because my Georgia plates were about to expire, but I didn’t have the VIN on any of the paperwork I had.
The sixth time, after going home to get my proof of insurance with the VIN on it, I was able to get a temporary permit to put in the car’s back window.
The seventh time, I got a second temporary tag because the Oregon DMV in Salem still hadn’t issued my license plates.
In spite of it taking a month and a half to get a license plate, weeks after the second temporary tag expired, I have not yet had to go back an eighth time. For this, I’m very happy.
All that being said, the wait times are pretty short for a DMV. (And I have experience with the DMVs in California, Wyoming, Indiana, Georgia, North Carolina, and Illinois because I move so often, so I can evaluate them fairly.) They’ll give you a little pass if you have to come back the same day, and you get to stand in the box they taped to the floor to give you priority instead of taking a number and waitng. They have an ATM on site, which is good because they don’t take credit cards. The guy who takes the pictures has a pretty good attitude (though I don’t think he was interested in letting me do a re-​take so I’d look sober.) It’s good that they have short wait times because I don’t think there’s a public bathroom, and that could get messy.
Hopefully I will NOT be back for a good long while.

License renewal here could not have gone smoother. I rolled in slightly after 8:00 a.m. the Thursday before Christmas, grabbed a number deli-​counter style, and waited all of 12 minutes to be called. 12 minutes! That’s barely enough time to properly care for and feed my Facebook news feed.
I proved my legal name, citizenship, altruism, support of recycling, composting, and consuming local, organic foods, and PNW microwbrews (though never when driving). I was deemed worthy of another license from the great State of Oregon.
Incidentally, when did a U.S. passport issued from the Department of State stop being a decisive document of citizenship? It has a recent photo, a hologram, and enough of my DNA encoded in the bar strip to clone me should the government ever wish to do so. Why, then, was I forced to turn my house upside down to locate a social security card printed off a dot matrix printer from the 1980s with the shaky, unsure signature of a young girl who had only recently learned to write in cursive?
As a further note, I would like to thank the State of Oregon for reinforcing my decision not to change my name when I got married. I was spared the pain of obtaining (and paying for) certified, notarized, legalized, Apostille copies of birth certificates, marriage licenses, and the like. Fine, I wasn’t born abroad, but you get the idea.
Sorry — I forgot this is a 4-​star review. I’m a fan, I’m a fan! And, I got my license on Tuesday, a mere 5 days after my trip to the DMV. There was even a long weekend contained within those 5 days. Plus, it is valid for nine whole years. Seriously. An Oregon license is a total bargain, provided you are not a woman who subscribes to the archaic customs associated with the institution of marriage.