Texas Department Of Public Safety

Went in today (Friday) at 9:15, staff was very friendly, helpful and quick, I was out by 9:30 !

Went yesterday and there was at least a 2 hour wait. One person behind the counter and no one working the desk so I left. Returned today and waited 45 after arriving at 8 am. The woman who «helped» me was wrong and unhelpful. I provided two documents to prove my residence, as required, and taken directly from their list and they refused to take the letter from a federal agency addressed to me at my residence. Left pretty ticked off for wasting more time in the office and went to Pfuegerville where my proof of residence was accepted as it should have been in Georgetown– no problem got my license there is 20 minutes. Don’t waste your time at this place, staff don’t know what they are talking about and look for ways to make this process even more painful than it already is.

I went here last Monday, and they were quick and friendly. It was a pleasant experience.
Then I came back yesterday, and they are the reason I am only giving 2 stars.
I go in to renew my drivers license, and the lady at the front desk tells me that I need to show my birth certificate on top of my social security card AND my valid Texas ID card. I tell her that doesn’t sound quite right because last time I came in for the exact same reason, nobody asked for my birth certificate. She refuses to accept that she is wrong after visually showing her where it says on the DPS website to properly prove identity all you need is ONE primary identification document such as a state issued ID card not expired longer than two years. WHY WOULD THE WEBSITE BE WRONG? Even one of the papers she gave me about proving identity stated all I needed was a state ID to validate my ID, and she STILL refused to admit that she made a mistake. So I got her smug supervisor involved who also insisted on me bringing in my birth certificate just to prove my citizenship… which is odd because I’m positive that I had to show my birth certificate when I obtained my state ID card.
I proved to them that they were wrong, and they wouldn’t admit it. I asked them if the website was wrong or if they were wrong, and they wouldn’t answer me. I don’t know why they were being so prideful and couldn’t just admit that they made a mistake so they could do their jobs and help me renew my license.
I think I know what it is actually. Being state workers, they must feel the need to overcompensate for their shortcomings by being stubborn and spiteful in situations such as this, in a pathetic effort to save some dignity. NEWSFLASH: you are a clerk at a DPS office, your dignity is long gone.
So I left on that muggy thursday afternoon, vowing to never step foot in that building ever again. I went and got my birth certificate from my house, headed to the DPS office in north Austin off of 183… AND THEY DIDN’T EVEN ASK FOR MY BIRTH CERTIFICATE THERE. I then asked if they even needed to see my birth certificate, and they said «No».

I’ve been here several times for this and that. Many times I don’t have much of a wait and usually all of the employees are just as helpful as can be.
The last time I was there. unfortunately we had nearly a 3 hour wait just to get a driver’s license at 8:30 in the morning. Everyone was really friendly, and once we were finally called up, the lady that was helping us let me run out to the car for documents to sign off on my daughter’s proof of residency because her two documents weren’t enough. I appreciated that she let me go out and grab what I needed.
The worst part of the wait was seeing several employees just standing around and chatting, while either one or two ladies were serving customers, and it was a full house! For at least an hour, there was only 1 window open. I don’t quite understand why they weren’t just opening all of the windows and getting everyone out quickly. but thankfully, it isn’t usually that bad.
This is a quaint little DPS and everyone is so nice. Hopefully they were just having an off day. because that kind of wait is brutal!

Very quick service with friendly employees. I was in and out within 20 mins even though there was what seemed like a long line. Tucked away in a Georgetown neighborhood so not much traffic it seemed.

Come in on a Thursday — it’s their least busy day according to one of the staff. They recommend coming in any time other than summer because that’s their busiest time of year with school being out, teens getting licensed, and people on vacation. Make sure you check their website before you come to ensure you have all the right papers. I found that the website wasn’t very easy to navigate though…
I came in twice in the same day since I didn’t have the appropriate paperwork the first time. Each time, I was greeted and assisted by a very helpful and polite staff member. They were so polite. Service overall was great. Of the three staff I encountered, they were each excellent. Well done!

Wow, this place is super quick! I did however come in on December 31^st so I’m sure that’s why this place was more dead than usual. I had to change my last name & address and it only took me about 5 minutes. The people working here were pretty friendly and gave me all the forms I needed and what to fill out which was awesome :)
My husband also came here on a non-​holiday and was in & out within 15 minutes. If you really dread going to the DPS in Austin, come over to Georgetown where it’s quick and efficient.

What is this world coming to when DPS employees are courteous and helpful?!
I dreaded this visit to exchange my out-​of-​state license for a TX license. It seemed healthy to go in expecting that I might be yelled at or shamed for not coming sooner, etc. As it turns out, I did have about a 90 minute wait, but the friendliness and competence of the workers so exceeded my expectations that the wait didn’t feel like a big deal.
The other folks in the waiting area were also down-​to-​earth and friendly, and didn’t indulge in a lot of the loud, woe-​is-​me sighing that often plagues such places. Just one overly-​intrusive yet thoughtful lady came over, unbuckled my crying baby from his car seat, and held him so that I could concentrate on completing my application form.
I’m glad I don’t have to go back anytime soon, but the lack of hassle really made my day.