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License to Drive You Crazy: DMV Offices Closed 12 Straight Fridays
Inside the Santa Monica DMV this time last year (Photo by omar omar via Flickr)
Yesterday was yet another Friday on which the state's DMV offices were closed down, thanks to Executive Order S-13-09--a furlough mandate launched in July that sees the department darkened for the first three Fridays of each month. However, do a little figuring with the calendar, and yesterday kicked off a long string of Fridays when the DMV just won't be an option for motorists. "[F]actoring in upcoming holidays on top of those mandated furlough days, Friday marked the start of a 12-week stretch in which DMV offices will be closed for business every Friday," reports the Daily Breeze, which "means that the next Friday employees will be on the job - and that motorists can get their licenses and vehicle registrations renewed - won't come until Jan. 29."Despite the Friday shutdowns happening for four months now, people still pull up to area DMV offices hoping to pay fees or renew licenses without an appointment. Those folks, however, will find closed gates, and perhaps workers from nearby businesses who provide similar proxy services for a fee, like vehicle registration, hoping to lure clients whose DMV hopes were dashed.
You're not totally out of luck, though: "Motorists who have a registration renewal date that falls on a Friday closure day will have penalties waived until the next business day," explains the DMV website, with a reminder that many services can be handled online, including making an appointment--something that is always advisable when it comes to government services like the DMV.
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