Hochul's Project: Modernizing NY DMV For Better Customer Service

There's nothing like a fun trip to a New York State Department of Motor Vehicles office. Am I right? Aside from having to stand in line or sit for a spell awaiting your turn at the counter, it's not a bad experience...or is it?

I have a friend (and former co-worker) who works at one of our local NYS DMV offices, so maybe I have an advantage, knowing that I'm going to have a pleasant experience. Probably spending too much time chatting with him, and irritating the people waiting in line behind me. Oops!

Anyway, good or bad experience, according to New York State Governor Kathy Hochul's website, an announcement was made recently about a project to overhaul outdated NYS DMV technology. The goal is to bring significant customer service improvements to residents of the Empire State.

Governor Hochul's office notes that a significant portion of the NYS DMV’s current technology, some of which are over 50 years old, will make the DMV more secure, stable, and agile.

Issues with computers and outages have resulted in delays and longer lines, but with the new more modern systems, contacting the NYS DMV online or via a visit to one of the offices, customers will experience a reliable, responsive, and faster service.

The New York State Governor's Office reports that the NYS DMV now offers online pre-screening for some transactions including applying for a REAL ID, Enhanced ID, and exchanging an out-of-state license. The appointment scheduling system has reduced the average wait time for a customer to a record low of 15 minutes.