Maryland MVA appointments = 2 month backlog?

I know there's a few Maryland folks on the board and maybe you all have some idea of what's going on with the MVA / trying to get stuff done with them during these trying times.  The KS plates on my car and motorcycle are up at the end of this month and instead of pretending I still live there I figured I should get that changed.  So there's a new driver's license to get (can't get plates here without an out of state driver's license), title work to do, an inspection on the car (I don't know about the bike?) and then plates as well.  A fun day at the DMV.  When I went online to make an appointment to have this done the lead times are 1.5 to 2 months out; Glen Burnie would have been my preferred location as they can do everything there apparently and the next appointment available was some time during the first week of November.  Other sites were all about the same.

I know the governor has said that during the pandemic residents don't need to get new plates but I'm not renewing existing MD plates.  I've got a Connecticut driver's license and Kansas plates that say they expire in Sept. on the plate so I'm in a funky spot and am not sure how much risk I'm running by not getting this handled.  I would have never guessed that the backlog for an appointment was so long.  It's hard to know what I'll be doing in November (my job is starting to require random travel again) so making an appointment that far out seems like a dice roll at best.

Thoughts?  Someone I should call?

Sounds about right, an ex had her wallet stolen, made an appointment online to get a replacement and it was about 10 weeks. 

My GF needs to get her licensed transfered from IL to TX.  She booked the appointment in June... it is for November.

My daughter's permit appointment was made last month and is 10.29, which was the earliest we could find in a 3 hour drive.  

My son was able to get an appointment for 10.07 for his road test for license, scheduled it last week.

I would think that if you print your confirmation email for the appointment and carry it with you, any reasonable cop should be willing to take that as good enough for now.

Duke:  That's a good idea. 

Same here in Florida.  License expired in July, about a week before I went online for an appointment.  I got it done this month.

I wasn't driving anywhere, so it didn't really matter, but it was annoying.

Would it be easier to renew the KS plates for the time being?

One would assume MD can't do anything legally about expired out of state plates. But having the printed appointment confirmation is a good idea as well.

Yep.  I made an appointment to have my license renewed.  I made the appointment online about a month ago.    My appointment is October 13th.

My license expired September 4th.  But with covid, still good.

If my license was expired, or my plates, and a bureaucrat told me it was no problem at all, I'd ride a bicycle.

No way on earth that ends well when you hit someone.

Glen Burnie has a nice Harbor Freight.

Compared to the Laurel location.

That's all I got.

I want to switch my drivers license to TX and the next appointment is January 2021

Streetwiseguy said:

If my license was expired, or my plates, and a bureaucrat told me it was no problem at all, I'd ride a bicycle.

No way on earth that ends well when you hit someone.

This... isn't helpful.

In reply to 1kris06 :

I think having plates that are expired and you're driving around in a state where you have a residence and a job will have the same result as if you were running in-state plates that are expired.  At least, that's the usual situation, and I wouldn't think to attempt it.  But we're not in a usual situation and the gov. having placed a standing extension on expired plates and licenses seems to be both helpful and more confusing.  At least my driver's license is good until 2024.

If you show up at BelAir, they have a walk in list. I didn't know appointments were a thing and when I showed up it was a 10 minute wait to get in the door from that list. This was 2 weeks ago. 

In reply to Steve_Jones :

What all can I do at the Bel Air location, can I get a car inspected there?  This sounds like a good thing to try this coming week if I can manage it.

I'm now searching around for "mva walk in list" and such and not getting crap for results.  Why are is the MVA website so close to being good??  Are they just now wanting people to know that this exists?

Car inspection is done at a mechanic shop, not the MVA, that needs to be done first. It's a mechanical/safety/no tint inspection. 
 

this link should give you a list  https://egov.maryland.gov/msp/vsi/Lookup#!/

I was told by a coworker that you can get all inspects done at the Glen Burnie facility.  Is that not the case?

The inspections are done at most automotive dealers  and shops. Call around as most shops  are running full throttle.

For tag and title stuff, I did a independent tag and title office to get my Bugeye papers straight they were a breeze, no appointment. That doesn't help on a license though. 

My wife's license is expiring in November and shes due then. We aren't risking the mva. Not sure what we are doing. She couldn't even get an appointment last she checked anyways. Charles co.

Regarding inspection, go to just about any mechanics shop and they do them. Glen burnie only comes in for kit cars and stuff I thought. I've never had a car get through on first try, they always find some BS reason.

Some of my favorites

• Bmw e30 325e, had an I valence installed, no bulbs or wiring, outer fog light lenses only. They failed it because they couldn't aim the fog lights that wouldn't even be adjustable if they were installed behind the lenses. Had to tape over lenses as a compromise to get passed. 
• 1997 mustang, one sticker on the rear quarter window that isn't even visible from driver's seat. Also tried insisting that borrowed toyo R888's couldn't be road legal for not having enough tread. They still had stickers on them... (Glad I didn't try my marginal tread depth azenis 215's) inspection was at a tire shop... 
• 95 miata. Failed for rear sway bar being removed (coilover suspension) had to fish it out of attic and reinstall. Removed it in parking lot before leaving inspection station.

Let's just say I'm going to be very cautious if I do get into the MVA.

Let's also say I'm sure a lot of folks would just find their old state's paperwork and make some calls to get things handled that way for another year...

It's the same here in Michigan. When I bought the Boxster in August, the soonest I could get in to get a plate was mid-November. BUT! They also had next-day openings, you just had to keep refreshing the web page. You could start scheduling 24 hours beforehand, so you had to move fast, but I was able to do it. Got a 4:10 appointment, got there at 4:05, was let in at exactly 4:10, and was out of there with my new plate by 4:18. Honestly, it's the best experience I've ever had at the Secretary of State.

Same with Florida, appointments are 3 months out to renew the drivers license. 

I just went in without an appointment and it took less than an hour. 

Guys I don't live in Michigan or Florida.  I'm glad it worked out for you; every state is different.

pres589 (djronnebaum) said:

I was told by a coworker that you can get all inspects done at the Glen Burnie facility.  Is that not the case?

That is wrong. No mva does inspections. 

My FL plates expired in June and with everything going on I just kept forgetting to set an appointment.  When I did it was was 2 weeks out (August timeframe) and they were strict about appointment only.  So I get there and there's a line.  Nice DMV lady is checking people in.  After she checks me in the guy behind me walks up and she says "Do you have an appointment?"  Mind you there's a sign beside her saying "Appointments only".  Dude says "No, I understand I need one but ..."  No you don't understand because if you did you would have gotten a berking appointment.  So then I go through security inside and they have the wait area all socially distanced.  Guy 6 feet in front of me turns to me and says "The security here sucks, they didn't even catch my beer!"  He then proceeds to pull a beer out of his back pack and start drinking it.  Finally my number is called and I go to the window.  Lady is new and having issues but nbd I'm enjoying the experience.  Young lady comes up to the window beside me.  I overhear that she's 17 and just moved to FL and needs a license.  DMV lady ask her if she's an organ donor.  Girl is on the phone with I assume a parent and ask them "Am I an organ donor? Ok ... yes I am an organ donor."  I'm laughing inside because hell at 17 I'd expect more thought than that.  Sorry to clutter your thread but it was the most fun DMV visit I've ever had.