Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski Calls for Reforms at Rockland DMV & Protests Outrageous Wait Times

Zebrowski’s office has received several complaints in recent weeks regarding abnormally long lines and wait times at the Rockland DMV this summer

Today, Assemblyman Ken Zebrowski stood with frustrated DMV customers in calling for improvements to Rockland’s Department of Motor Vehicles and to protest extreme wait times. Several constituents have contacted the Assemblyman’s office recently with very negative experiences, especially regarding longer than usual lines this summer. Examples range from customers waiting anywhere from two, three, and most recently reported to Zebrowski’s office, over four and a half hours. Those that take the extra step to make an appointment also wait well beyond their scheduled time before being serviced. With the REAL ID deadline approaching in 2020, traffic at DMVs across the State will continue to grow.

“When visiting the DMV, there is a certain expectation that there will be a bit of a wait. Spending hours, almost half of the day, at the DMV is unacceptable and quite frankly, unproductive. Folks are losing a day of work, and the REAL ID deadline approaching in 2020 will only continue to exacerbate the problem. We need a solution before this turns into a real crisis where people end up waiting days for required documentation,” said Assemblyman Zebrowski.

Beginning October 2020, the federal government will require that driver licenses are REAL ID compliant in order to be used as identification to board to domestic flight. Although getting a REAL ID is not required, it is encouraged as it can be used for federal identification purposes. With the deadline only about two years away, lines at the DMV will only continue to get longer.

"It is an onerous burden on hard working New Yorkers to require them to spend multiple hours, during a work week, waiting at the DMV to get a driver's license or work in a car's title. The DMV employees are working as hard as they can and understand how broken this system is. I am hopeful that Assemblyman Zebrowski's efforts to draw attention to this systemic problem will bring stakeholders to the table to find the resources necessary to make going to the DMV a more productive and pleasant experience." Robert Pitkofsky, New City, a recent DMV customer.

“A solution must be in place to address the increased wait times, especially in light of the REAL ID requirement. The closer we get to that deadline, the worse these lines are going to get. I’ve asked the DMV for an analysis of wait times across the State in order to see if this is a widespread problem. DMV employees can only work so hard with limited staff and resources. Rockland County only has one DMV office, and there must be a plan in place to address the surge in demand,” concluded Assemblyman Zebrowski.

Zebrowski asked the DMV to evaluate the following possible solutions:

  1. An additional Rockland office
  2. Satellite offices for specific services
  3. Mobile vans
  4. Additional staff at the Rockland office
  5. Expansion of online services
  6. Regular monitoring of wait times and a real time re-allocation of resources

In addition Zebrowski asked for:

  1. An immediate analysis of wait times in Rockland and across the state.
  2. A comparison of Rockland’s current service, population and office traffic in relation to other New York Counties.