MARGATE, Fla. – Long lines continue to create a disaster at DMV centers all across South Florida.
Viewers have reached out to Local 10, saying getting an appointment is an even bigger challenge.
Local 10 cameras captured people already lined up outside of a Coconut Creek location early Friday morning, waiting to get through the doors hours before opening time.
More than 100 people were in line at the DMV in Margate at 4:30 a.m. -- some camped out overnight.
“We’ve been here since 9 o’clock last night,” Rhea Kiddy said.
Those we spoke to say they need renewals, new licenses or other documents, and the only available appointments online are weeks away, but they need services sooner.
“My license expires on my birthday, which is in two weeks,” Karen Huebner said. “The earliest appointment was the end of March.”
Huebner got in line at 9 p.m. Thursday. We spoke to her at 4:30 a.m. Friday and she was the 39th person in line.
The DMV opens at 8 a.m.
Huebner and others say they feel they have no option but to wait more than 11 hours in line, hoping to get a walk-in appointment.
“There’s old people here, there’s a 2-year-old in the car. I mean, this isn’t right --there’s no bathrooms, there’s no safety,” Kiddy said.
Some people in line said they’ve tried multiple DMV locations, even leaving South Florida and trying spots on the Gulf Coast -- all to no avail.
“These are all people who are here for the same reasons. Most of these people we’ve been in this line with multiple times,” Huebner said.
Back in July 2024, the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles sent Local 10 a statement saying the department is hiring more people to process customer requests and also offering mobile offices with locations listed online.
DMV representatives also previously told Local 10 that they have expanded hours. But people in line Friday say it’s clearly not enough to keep up with demand.
“This is not right, it’s not fair, it’s not sanitary, it’s not safe,” Huebner said. “I want them to fix this.”
Most DMVs in Florida are run by elected county tax collector offices, but that’s not the case in Miami-Dade or Broward, where they’re run by state employees.
That will soon change, now that tax collectors are elected here too
The newly sworn-in Broward tax collector tells Local 10 that they’ll take over DMV operations in summer 2026.
“We have conducted site visits, identifying areas of improvement in technology, personnel and the overall customer experience,” a statement reads. “We are confident these changes will lead to reduced lines and wait time.”
Similar measures are expected in Miami-Dade County, too.