Virginia DMV Begins Offering Appointments, Walk-In Service On Alternating Days

VIRGINIA — Starting Tuesday, the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles switched to appointments only on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and walk-in service on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

Unlike many other government agencies, the DMV has still not opened its customer service centers to full operations, more than 18 months after the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DMV began operating by appointment-only when it reopened its offices in May 2020 after a temporary closure due to COVID-19. Operating by appointment has proven to be “overwhelmingly popular with customers,” the DMV said in a news release, with 77 percent saying in a survey that they wished to see appointments continue.

During the pandemic, customers have been forced into doing a lot of business with the DMV through online transactions and by mail. The DMV said it is conducting more than 10 percent more transactions per week cumulatively through all service channels than before the pandemic.

For the week ending Oct. 2, customers completed a total of 352,895 transactions, as compared to the pre-pandemic weekly average of 309,111 total transactions.

“With more than 50 services available online and others by mail, many customers are taking advantage of the opportunity to conduct business without having to come to the DMV,” DMV Commissioner Richard Holcomb said in a statement. “But when an in-person visit is needed, customers can now plan ahead for a convenient appointment or walk in on alternating days, allowing Virginians to choose the way they prefer to be served.”

Customers who have scheduled an appointment and instead decide to walk in for service should cancel that appointment to make it available for other customers, the DMV said. Walk-in service will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis based on the type of transaction.

"Customers should anticipate wait times," the DMV said.