Ways you can skip the line and avoid the wait at the DMV

Visiting the DMV can be a headache. In Lee County, it is now appointment only, but appointments aren’t available for weeks, resulting in a lot of frustration.

Alvaro Delvalle has experienced that problem firsthand. “You couldn’t find any available time slot. I don’t think they had any appointments before January.”

WINK News checked each Lee County DMV location for available appointments. Most services are booked out into next month.

If you can’t get an appointment and need one, the Lee County Tax Collector’s Office suggests you go to the auto tag agency in Fort Myers.

“I just found out this place did not do appointments, so you can come and walk in, so I figured I would take a day and do it. It’s taken a day plus, then some,” said Tim Smith from Fort Myers Shores.

On Wednesday, a video of a line at the auto tag agency shows that it may not be a better solution.

People said the line moves slowly because so many people need service right now, not next year.

Delvalle is one of the many people who gave the tag agency a shot. “We had a 3-4 hour wait the first time, and this time we got here very early.”

If you don’t have that kind of time to wait, you can renew your car’s registration yourself at Publix. There are three locations in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, and Lehigh Acres with MV Express kiosks. You can find a list of those locations by clicking here.

You can also renew your registration and driver’s license right from your computer as long as you already have a Real ID. Just head to the Lee County Tax Collector’s website, or use the hyperlinks above.

The Lee County Tax Collector’s Office said it’s unusual for people to cancel their appointments at the DMV, but you can still check online every morning if that does happen.

You can also mail your registration renewal to the tax collector’s office.