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Is it Worth $24?

All states are different but here in Texas, you can renew your driver’s license online. Say your birthday is May 1 and your license expires May 1, 2019. You can renew online on or after May 2, 2018. It doesn’t change the expiration. I think they’re good for 6 years so if you renewed on May 2, 2018 for a license expiring on May 1, 2019 license, it would be good til May 1, 2025. I was so happy that I didn’t have to get dressed, go to the DMV, stand in line, deal with the people. Here, I think they’re kinda nice. Some places .. not so nice.

The day after my birthday last year, I got online and renewed my driver’s license. It came in the mail. Didn’t have to leave home.

Vince could have renewed his 10 months ago. It expires in 2 months. For 10 months, I’ve been sayin “You can renew your license online!” Last week, he got online to do it.

Imagine Vince’s astonishment during this conversation.

Vince: Did you pay an extra $24 just to renew your license online?
Me: I don’t know.
Vince: If you renewed it online, you had to pay the extra. Did you pay $24 extra?
Me: I have no idea.
Vince: Do you think you would have paid an extra $24 just to renew online?
Me: Yes!
Vince: You would pay an extra $24 for NOTHING?
Me: Yes! I don’t consider it NOTHING! And, I will do it again next time.
Vince: You can’t.
Me: Hmmm . . (Wanting to say “watch me!”)

Then he explained that you can do it online once and the next time you have to go in to the DMV in person.

Me: So, I will save $24. Can I spend that $$ on yarn?
Vince: I still can’t believe you paid an extra $24.

Get this . . he did not do it. He’s going to go to DMV, stand in line and save $24. Over the span of the six year driver’s license, that’s $4 per year. I can’t believe he won’t do it. He can’t believe I did do it.

Would you spend an extra $24 for a six year driver’s license to keep from having to go down to the DMV and do it? Mars vs. Venus or do I have total disregard for the value of a dollar?  🙂

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Our DMV renewal here in CA is maybe around $50 don’t remember exactly, you can do online for no addtl cost, but there are other places that advertise you can do in person locally on Sat & evening, etc where they do charge addtl for using their service. I almost got tricked into one of those other online places by accident and didn’t notice till they wanted addtl fee

  2. I would go and stand in line to save $24. (The people who run the license bureau here are friendlier than they used to be, although I kind of understand if they’re not. Around here they have to deal with some pretty annoying people.)

  4. IN A HEARTBEAT!!! As of the last time I renewed my license, which was 4 years ago, I had to go to DMV and have it done, we didn’t have an online option, and still don’t. I have to bring in different forms of ID (like my previous license isn’t good enough??) and have a new picture taken. It was funny, when I got my last license, my picture was so nice, the lady let me keep it. When I got my current license, they wouldn’t because they now make you take a closeup picture without glasses. I had just lost a huge amount of weight due to medications/illness and was too thin and my picture looks like a skull. It’s awful. If a cop pulled me over and looked at the picture, he’s think he was looking at a dead person’s license…and if I took the glasses off to drive like on the license, I’d be hitting every car on the road…and on the sidewalk! Don’t feel bad about spending that $24 and tell Vince you are putting it into your yarn fund for the end of the year!

    Just so you know, the bean soup was delicious, you should definitely make a pot!

  5. I’ve done it before and I’ll do it again. Even our nice big DMV where you check in on a computer when you enter and then there are screens where you can watch how long your wait time is and approx how many before you, etc (they divvy up peeps according to what they’re there for). It’s way more spacious, plenty of chairs, etc. but you STILL have to drive there and wait. $24 is SO worth it!

  6. I just renewed mine last week. If we had the option to renew online here in MN, I definitely would!

  7. Just renewed mine in Texas a few months ago and it was my time to have to go in as I always do it online if possible. The wait was several hours. Luckily, I found out you can make an appointment online. It was unbelievable. I was in and out (that means in my van driving out of the parking lot across the street) in 9 minutes. And we don’t have to pay extra to do it online. Curious why your county charges so much.

  8. When I turned 72 this past summer, I had to physically go in to the CA DMV, take a written test on the computer there, new picture etc. Can’t remember the fee but it wasn’t too bad. I did make an appt online and it went very quickly. After 70 you have to physically go in and be tested (written and eyes) every 5 years.

  9. In Louisiana, approved private companies can now offer dmv services. They are quick, friendly, knowledgeable and I have zero problems paying a slight premium for their services. They have even saved us hundreds of dollars in directing us how to do family car transfers where no money is actually exchanged between the family members so that you don’t pay taxes again on the value of your vehicle. Cause if you register your car in the state for the first time coming from another state or buy a car from someone or a dealership, you pay taxes on the value of the car.

    • Which means don’t buy a new car right before you move to Louisiana. You have to pay taxes twice.

  10. I just renewed my online here in Texas. They charge you $1.00 extra to do it online. The cost was $25.00 total. The renewal fee is $24.00 So Vince is standing in line for $1.00 LOL

    • That sounds more like it. I know I used to renew mine online when I could and there was never a large additional fee for doing it online. Judy will get the last laugh on this one, I think.

    • I was wondering about that too. It didn’t mention it on the website. Poor Vince; I hope he doesn’t have a long wait!

  11. I would spend the $24 just to not have to take time from my day (and sometimes it’s over an hour of wait-time at the DMV), save money on gas to get me there and back also.

  12. In Massachusetts we have no fee (yet) for online renewal. Here are the rules:
    • Your Massachusetts driver’s license is valid for five years and expires on your birthday. The Massachusetts RMV usually sends you a renewal form about 60 days prior to the expiry date.
    • It is advisable to renew your driver’s license before the birthday on which it will expire. You can renew your license up to a year leading up to its expiration.
    • Pay the renewal fee 0f $40 (at limited service branches you can only pay by check or credit card).
    You will get a temporary license during renewal which is valid for 30 days but it cannot be used as an ID. Your new license will be mailed to you.
    You have the option to renew your driver license online but only every ten years. You will need a valid e-mail address, your current driver’s license and the necessary documents.
    Not sure I would pay any extra fee.

  13. I would definitely pay extra, especially since it will be so long before you would need to do it again.

  14. I would pay the extra in a heartbeat. My sister and I always wonder why all the creepy people are always at the dmv when we go there

  16. I don’t know if we can do it online in NC. Next time I will find out. Last time I went and waited at least two hours for them to tell everyone to go home. The computers were off-line and they didn’t know when the would come back up again. This was said very rudely. Had to go back the next day and wait in live for a few more hours. Not very nice people in my opinion.

  17. Here in TN, you can renew up to 6 mo. before expiration and it is good for 7 years from the date you renew. I just did mine, and online, and they didn’t charge me any extra. It was okay to reuse my last picture, so they did that and it came in the mail. If they had charged me $24 extra, I would still have paid it. You are right. The license place here is inconvenient, crowded, and often staffed by people with too much to do, and you know that leads to people being tired and cranky. Definitely worth it to do it online. Next time, I have to submit a picture with my renewal, but I can still do it online! As of now, anyway. =)

  18. There’s no additional charge for renewing online here, but we like to go to the DMV. Ours is always a zoo, so we drive to the DMV in a little town about 20 miles away. It’s a cute little town, a nice drive. The DMV there is never busy, the people are really nice. We get in and out, and then go to the old-fashioned dime store, have lunch, or go to the farmer’s market there in the summer, so we make the whole thing into a pleasant little outing.

  19. The problem here is they are only open at certain times and on certain days. Then you do have to stand in line and wait and wait! They could just give you a # when you walk in and you could sit!!

  20. I’ve renewed mine over and over online (NJ) – I look so young in my photo. I just received my newest renewal … and I finally HAVE to go in person and get it renewed. I guess they want a newer photo than the one taken 15+ years ago ??

  21. I would not pay the extra $24 to register online. I’d much rather spend that on fabric or glass!

  23. Normally I will not pay extra just to do something online, but to avoid going to the DMV I really think I would!

  24. I’d pay $24 in a heartbeat. Avoiding the aggravation and saving the time – priceless!

  25. My county is so rural here in PA that our DMV is only open Wednesday, and then Saturday morning. I’ve never had to wait more than 5 minutes when I’ve had to go in for new photo, but it doesn’t cost any extra to renew online.

  26. My son just renewed his license online here in GA and he said it was $5 less to renew online than to go in. Win – win for him. Unfortunately for me, I think I have to go in as I renewed online last time and they insist on seeing you every other time (but it has been 18 years since I went in for my license, not counting the times with my kids).

  27. There is a cost to standing in line also. It costs fuel to get there unless it is on the way to somewhere else. If you have to take time off from work to go to DMV there could be lost wages or the use of vacation time. It would depend. I might go in or I might pay the extra. It would just depend on how I felt about talking to people at the time I was renewing.

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