AUSTIN, Texas — Visiting a Texas Department of Public Safety driver's license office pre-pandemic was sometimes a hassle. Now, for some, it's even harder.
Depending on what service you need help with, you may have to wait days, weeks or until early next year before the next available appointment.
Cedar Park resident Erni Gimenez knows that all too well.
She scheduled an appointment during the summer to renew her expired driver's license. Gimenez said she was required to visit a DPS office and couldn't renew online. The earliest appointment was Sept. 11.
"The very nice man that checked me in said, 'No, you have to have your passport or your, your birth certificate,'" Gimenez said.
The clerk allowed her to go home to find her passport, but she couldn't and had to forfeit her appointment.
"The next week, I go online to reschedule my now-defunct appointment and [the next one is] not until Feb. 23," she said. "I [thought it would] probably take another two months, maybe three. I'd had no idea it was going to take five."
A DPS spokesperson explained to KVUE the reasons behind the delays.
First, between the time the department's driver's license offices closed in March and when they reopened at the end of May, at least 700,000 licenses expired, causing a huge backlog in customers needing services.
"This means you may have to schedule your appointment farther out due to limited availability as we work to get Texans the services they need most," the spokesperson said.
Secondly, the department is facing challenges due to no-shows. Between May 26 and Sept. 30, more than 387,000 appointments were either missed or canceled. That means one in every four appointments was a no-show.
To help fill those missed appointments, DPS offices are using standby queues, similar to those used at airports.
"While at the kiosk, the customer is informed that there are no appointments available for that day, but a standby slot is available if they are willing to wait. While there is no guarantee of how long the wait will be, each office sets a maximum number of standby slots, ensuring that if a customer is in the standby queue, they will be seen that day," the spokesperson said.
In addition, there are limited same-day appointments available, but those fill up quickly and are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Customers who book those appointments while visiting a DPS office can return at the appointment time.
Gimenez is considering both options, but she's cautious.
"I might do that because I can drop in once or twice a week or every other week," she said. "But it's, again ... running the risk of exposing yourself [to COVID-19] and or others if you have it. I mean, I always wear a mask, but you never know."
On Sept. 21, DPS announced it would begin offering Saturday appointments starting on Saturday, Oct. 3, through Saturday, Dec. 19.
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