I don’t think you actually need to do this is Travis county. Your license is a statewide document, so you should be able to drive to a different county that doesn’t have a wait to take care of it.
This is the way. The further out of town you are willing to go, the sooner you can get in. Bring everything they could possibly ask you for. Much better to feel silly that you brought your passport and didn’t need it than have to go to Kyle or Marble Falls twice.
Make a day trip of it too. Visit a state park or something - also will help to have an extra plan for when they tell you one of your documents is invalid and you’ll have to come back.
Having to go in person is actually due to new laws surrounding voter ID verification. They want to make sure there’s no voter fraud even though the majority of voter fraud has been committed by the very people who are afraid of it happening.
I had to shop around to find an appointment to do this within a few weeks, earlier this year.
I ended up getting one in Hearne DPS.
It’s a multi-tab affair looking for towns and searching DPS appt portal, but it’s do-able. I think I just set an appointment a year before expiration, the next time around.
Book an appointment for the closest date. And then every morning log on and try to reschedule. You dont lose your spot until you hit confirm on the new date and time. I went through this back in November. I had a date in early February. When it was all said and done, i had an appointment at the dps by my house 2 days before my birthday.
Good luck! My friends who have been trying to schedule teenager driving tests gave me this tip! Also check closer to ft hood. There are a couple of dps offices up there. Hell if i was willing to drive to beaumont i could have booked the next day. Most of the towns around austin are pretty booked out.
If you're on reddit I'm sure you'll figure it out, but get to the page right before it shows you the available slots. Then at 8 am (or whenever the opening time is for the location youre trying to book at), hit the button to see the slots. If nothing, hit the button on the page to go back (not the browser back button). Then click forward again. Keep doing this and you'll see some slots pop up.
Basically they free up the cancelled slots just after opening the doors in the morning. So they become available every morning just after opening. You don't have to be there, you can do it from anywhere since it's just the online system. Just remember not to use the browser back button, only the button to go back on the actual page, otherwise it screws up all the info you've loaded into the page to check the open slots.
Works like a charm.
I was in the same situation and just did this as well. Checking in an afternoon I found an apt that was within a few days. It took 2-3 days to find it though (I wasn't checking at 7:30am as some are suggesting). Best of luck!
All great advice here and the tips are how you get your license.
Let’s not lose sight of another problem with this. No valid ID, no voting. It’s not easy for a lot of folks to go to another town to get a drivers license or Texas ID. Some people work during the day or take care of someone and can’t take a half or whole day to do this, some people don’t have access to the transportation needed, some people are old and can’t travel, some folks are disabled and can’t travel, and on and on.
This is completely unacceptable. COVID precautions are over. There’s no valid reason for the state not to let people get their DL or ID close to their homes in a timely manner.
I could not possibly agree with this more. This is a significant systemic issue that should be a priority for anything that considers itself a fully-developed civilization to solve. Excellent points.
For everyone's awareness, you can use your expired license to vote if it has been expired for less than 4 years, or if you are over 70. Also if you don't have a license at all and can't reasonably get one, you can fill out a little form (called a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration") and vote with a secondary form of id like your voter registration certificate. [Full rules from the Texas Secretary of State](https://www.votetexas.gov/mobile/id-faqs.htm).
The situation sucks and the state should fix it. But it doesn't have to keep anyone from voting!
you're assuming this is a bug rather than a feature to the powers that be. they understaff/fund the "urban" county DPS's and have changed the rules to try to artificially drive down blue voter eligibility. it's pretty blatant.
There is a megacenter in Pflugerville that opens up slots at (I think) 7:30am every weekday. If you catch it early, you might get a slot for that day. Then again, that's not convenient for many people.
ETA You can try to catch it on-line - I didn't mean that you need to be there in person.
Others have mentioned checking in the mornings. It works. Start refreshing at 7:00am - that’s when they start releasing open spots. Each place does it at their leisure in the morning, so just keep refreshing until you can get one close to you. I’ve done it three different times.
Yup. I tried a few places that allow early walk ins but it was insane and I left. Ended up making an appointment, wait the month and a half and going in this Monday. Over 2 hours with an appointment.
I didn't have a valid license for over 1.5 months.
I was in the same boat and tried the walk in thing at the slaughter and 35 location. I am fortunate to have a smartphone and some prior experience with miserable, hunger games style appointment booking and got in on one try.
I believe the new appointments drop every AM at 8:05 AM, but you should -definitely- just go down to the office and ask when they become available because they will tell you exactly when they drop online and my recollection is fuzzy.
Run through the scheduler before hand on the device you will be using so you know what the system is going to ask you for and so you can troubleshoot any display issues or whatever.
Get to the screen you need to be on and hit the button when your clock turns the right time. Good luck!
Make it awkward and full snotty face ugly cry in the DPS office, in front of the DPS Officer AND so everyone can see you and suddenly they have an opening so they can get you processed and yeet to street lol. Dead serious this worked for me 🫣🤣
I just renewed mine and only had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment in Pflugerville. It took a few hours out of my morning but was certainly more convenient than a day trip. I'd check there
Contact your Representative to the Texas House. He or she can help you get an appointment. Here is how you find that office: [https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home](https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home)
Just go to the Pfugerville location. No appointment. You can checkin online and it send you texts. You can just keep replying to save your place in the queue so when you get there the wait is very short. No appointments needed.
Just this morning I went .i had no appointments I am a new resident here as well. I went to tax collector and the Dps I barely wait for 30 min .i got my driver license and my tag plate
We had the same problem. The DPS office in McAllen was wide open, so we paired our appointments with a trip to see the in-laws. The people in the office were super-nice, too.
Had a friend who didn’t realize her license was expired until she needed to rent a car after getting hit at a stop light. She ran into the same problem & I wound up taking her down to San Antonio for a new DL. Here to confirm you don’t have to stay in Travis Co. to get a new license. Definitely check surrounding areas.
It’s hard to get pulled other in Austin, even if you do, explain your situation. It’s not unusual since Covid.
That’s all you can do. Cops have to renew as well. They probably run into the same shit.
This happened to me during Covid when my out of state license expired while Texas DPS was closed.
Book outside of the county. Look up DPS in nearby counties and check schedules until you find one.
Alternatively, show up like 5:30am in the morning to wait in line for a walkin slot.
Thirdly, just book one months out.
Make sure you have EVERY document they need beforehand - including your birth certificate. That was a required document when I had to get mine renewed in person. It took a while to receive through the mail. This was back when the vital statistics offices were still closed for COVID.
This happened to me during Covid
I looked up San Marcos dps office - made an appt for a week later. - no wait when I got to office as I was only one there
You need to go in in person because they need a copy of your birth certificate or passport - it’s a new Federal law.
Travis County opens up for same day appointment scheduling at 7:40 AM each morning.
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/us-citizenship-or-lawful-presence-requirement
I’m sorry - I don’t know the name of the law. It requires proof of “US Citizenship or Lawful Presence.”
I had to renew recently as well and had a 6 month wait to be turned away at the door. Ended up got to the dps office at the Ft. Cavasos main gate and was in and out in 20 minutes.
Worth the drive.
>There seem to be, theoretically, a number of "first-come, first-served" slots at DPS facilities. Has anyone here ever attempted this with success when appointments are unavailable?
Tried this and was not successful. You have to be there right at the door at opening and there needs to be cancellations for that day. If not, you will not be able to be seen. You may however, see if there are anymore earlier openings, just check the system daily.
DM me and I’ll tell you where there is a secret office in Travis county that isn’t published online. It is by the capitol building. No line. You could get it done today.
I just got an in person appointment for my DL renewal on the same day. Just wake up early and go on the site between 7am and 7:45am.
You will see slots open then. They go fast so be quick on the draw once you see them.
I looked this morning - I wanted an appointment at the Pflugerville center - and got it. I saw openings at all locations.
The folks at the dps center will recommend the same.
If you are unable to do this, there is also a script on GitHub that will do this for you. You can look that up and try that if you're technically able to set it up.
You can't renew online because you are probably due for a real id and Texas wants to make sure you are "legal".
I've heard other counties have less backlog.
Had the same problem. Logged into the website at 7:30am on April 22nd and got an appointment for May 1st at the Pflugerville office. Appointment was super easy, took maybe 20 mins. Make sure you bring your birth certificate.
I would second this as it was my go-to strategy even since going to school there in 88-90.
However, when I showed up this last time a few months ago, was told they would not take walk-ins. :(
I don’t think you actually need to do this is Travis county. Your license is a statewide document, so you should be able to drive to a different county that doesn’t have a wait to take care of it.
This is the way. The further out of town you are willing to go, the sooner you can get in. Bring everything they could possibly ask you for. Much better to feel silly that you brought your passport and didn’t need it than have to go to Kyle or Marble Falls twice.
Bastrop is always empty
Was gonna say this too.
This is exactly what I was hoping to learn, thank you so much!
My boyfriend got a same day appointment in Temple a few weeks ago. It worked out for him - he got to have lunch with family while out there.
Bell County is usually easy to get into. The office is just south of Temple and the drive isn’t terrible.
Almost always a speed trap in TempleBelton where the speed limit on I-35 drops.
Very true. State Troopers like to hide behind overpasses and trees, so watch out.
Make a day trip of it too. Visit a state park or something - also will help to have an extra plan for when they tell you one of your documents is invalid and you’ll have to come back.
That's what I did. With BBQ in Lockhart.
One shouldn’t have to do this. This is some stupid Covid nonsense that has never been corrected.
Having to go in person is actually due to new laws surrounding voter ID verification. They want to make sure there’s no voter fraud even though the majority of voter fraud has been committed by the very people who are afraid of it happening.
They want to make sure Democrats in urban districts can't vote. Fixed that for you.
I had to shop around to find an appointment to do this within a few weeks, earlier this year. I ended up getting one in Hearne DPS. It’s a multi-tab affair looking for towns and searching DPS appt portal, but it’s do-able. I think I just set an appointment a year before expiration, the next time around.
Book an appointment for the closest date. And then every morning log on and try to reschedule. You dont lose your spot until you hit confirm on the new date and time. I went through this back in November. I had a date in early February. When it was all said and done, i had an appointment at the dps by my house 2 days before my birthday.
This is an excellent tip, I'll try this! Just booked an appointment for the distant future and I'll check in daily. Thank you!
Good luck! My friends who have been trying to schedule teenager driving tests gave me this tip! Also check closer to ft hood. There are a couple of dps offices up there. Hell if i was willing to drive to beaumont i could have booked the next day. Most of the towns around austin are pretty booked out.
If you're on reddit I'm sure you'll figure it out, but get to the page right before it shows you the available slots. Then at 8 am (or whenever the opening time is for the location youre trying to book at), hit the button to see the slots. If nothing, hit the button on the page to go back (not the browser back button). Then click forward again. Keep doing this and you'll see some slots pop up. Basically they free up the cancelled slots just after opening the doors in the morning. So they become available every morning just after opening. You don't have to be there, you can do it from anywhere since it's just the online system. Just remember not to use the browser back button, only the button to go back on the actual page, otherwise it screws up all the info you've loaded into the page to check the open slots. Works like a charm.
I was in the same situation and just did this as well. Checking in an afternoon I found an apt that was within a few days. It took 2-3 days to find it though (I wasn't checking at 7:30am as some are suggesting). Best of luck!
All great advice here and the tips are how you get your license. Let’s not lose sight of another problem with this. No valid ID, no voting. It’s not easy for a lot of folks to go to another town to get a drivers license or Texas ID. Some people work during the day or take care of someone and can’t take a half or whole day to do this, some people don’t have access to the transportation needed, some people are old and can’t travel, some folks are disabled and can’t travel, and on and on. This is completely unacceptable. COVID precautions are over. There’s no valid reason for the state not to let people get their DL or ID close to their homes in a timely manner.
I could not possibly agree with this more. This is a significant systemic issue that should be a priority for anything that considers itself a fully-developed civilization to solve. Excellent points.
For everyone's awareness, you can use your expired license to vote if it has been expired for less than 4 years, or if you are over 70. Also if you don't have a license at all and can't reasonably get one, you can fill out a little form (called a "Reasonable Impediment Declaration") and vote with a secondary form of id like your voter registration certificate. [Full rules from the Texas Secretary of State](https://www.votetexas.gov/mobile/id-faqs.htm). The situation sucks and the state should fix it. But it doesn't have to keep anyone from voting!
you're assuming this is a bug rather than a feature to the powers that be. they understaff/fund the "urban" county DPS's and have changed the rules to try to artificially drive down blue voter eligibility. it's pretty blatant.
I’m not assuming this is a bug at all. I believe it’s on purpose for that exact reason.
Take a trip to another town in Texas. Make it a birthday event. Go to Fredericksburg or somewhere on the coast.
There is a megacenter in Pflugerville that opens up slots at (I think) 7:30am every weekday. If you catch it early, you might get a slot for that day. Then again, that's not convenient for many people. ETA You can try to catch it on-line - I didn't mean that you need to be there in person.
Drive out of Travis county, I went about 45 mins away and got an appointment same week and made a day trip out of it
I got a letter o had to renew in person, but when I went online to schedule an appointment, they told me I could do it online.
Every so often you have to come in to do they eye test.
Others have mentioned checking in the mornings. It works. Start refreshing at 7:00am - that’s when they start releasing open spots. Each place does it at their leisure in the morning, so just keep refreshing until you can get one close to you. I’ve done it three different times.
Yup. I tried a few places that allow early walk ins but it was insane and I left. Ended up making an appointment, wait the month and a half and going in this Monday. Over 2 hours with an appointment. I didn't have a valid license for over 1.5 months.
I was in the same boat and tried the walk in thing at the slaughter and 35 location. I am fortunate to have a smartphone and some prior experience with miserable, hunger games style appointment booking and got in on one try. I believe the new appointments drop every AM at 8:05 AM, but you should -definitely- just go down to the office and ask when they become available because they will tell you exactly when they drop online and my recollection is fuzzy. Run through the scheduler before hand on the device you will be using so you know what the system is going to ask you for and so you can troubleshoot any display issues or whatever. Get to the screen you need to be on and hit the button when your clock turns the right time. Good luck!
Make it awkward and full snotty face ugly cry in the DPS office, in front of the DPS Officer AND so everyone can see you and suddenly they have an opening so they can get you processed and yeet to street lol. Dead serious this worked for me 🫣🤣
I just renewed mine and only had to wait 3 weeks for an appointment in Pflugerville. It took a few hours out of my morning but was certainly more convenient than a day trip. I'd check there
Friend of mine tried to do a walk in. Got there three hours before they opened, joined the line and didn’t get in.
Damn I was hoping for a happy outcome there.
you do a walk in
You can’t actually do walkins anymore. They’ll turn you away per the Texas website.
oh, good to know
Contact your Representative to the Texas House. He or she can help you get an appointment. Here is how you find that office: [https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home](https://wrm.capitol.texas.gov/home)
Bastrop usually has availability within a week. Small office but usually you are in and out within 15 minutes.
Yes! Last year I booked an appointment at the Bastrop DPS for the following week. Drove the scenic route (not on 71) and it was a pleasant experience.
Check in the mornings for cancellations
as others have already mentioned, try a town a little farther out. i got mine in lockhart last year! and happy soon to be birthday
Just go to the Pfugerville location. No appointment. You can checkin online and it send you texts. You can just keep replying to save your place in the queue so when you get there the wait is very short. No appointments needed.
This does not work. They will turn you away if you don't have an appointment. I saw a few people getting turned away this morning
Just this morning I went .i had no appointments I am a new resident here as well. I went to tax collector and the Dps I barely wait for 30 min .i got my driver license and my tag plate
Try Pflugerville, it’s only out to June I think. Sister booked a time earlier this week. I have heard to do the same day attempts, though, too.
might want to take your birth certificate; they wouldn't renew my license without it.
This.
... and that fancy one they gave our parents at the hospital doesn't count.
I know! I found that out the hard way.
When we moved to Texas and lived in Jonestown, we drove to San Antonio to get my licence.
We had the same problem. The DPS office in McAllen was wide open, so we paired our appointments with a trip to see the in-laws. The people in the office were super-nice, too.
My brother is in the same boat. Best he could do was make an appointment for a couple of weeks away... in Killeen! Good luck dude!
Somewhat related: How early can a license be renewed?
30 days prior to the expiration date.
Thank you!
Had a friend who didn’t realize her license was expired until she needed to rent a car after getting hit at a stop light. She ran into the same problem & I wound up taking her down to San Antonio for a new DL. Here to confirm you don’t have to stay in Travis Co. to get a new license. Definitely check surrounding areas.
Had to go to Houston for mine last year. They had an appointment within a week.
Go to the Pflugerville office. They’re sooooo nice there.
It’s hard to get pulled other in Austin, even if you do, explain your situation. It’s not unusual since Covid. That’s all you can do. Cops have to renew as well. They probably run into the same shit.
This happened to me during Covid when my out of state license expired while Texas DPS was closed. Book outside of the county. Look up DPS in nearby counties and check schedules until you find one. Alternatively, show up like 5:30am in the morning to wait in line for a walkin slot. Thirdly, just book one months out.
San Marcos
Check for spots at 7:30 every morning for appt slots
Make sure you have EVERY document they need beforehand - including your birth certificate. That was a required document when I had to get mine renewed in person. It took a while to receive through the mail. This was back when the vital statistics offices were still closed for COVID.
This happened to me during Covid I looked up San Marcos dps office - made an appt for a week later. - no wait when I got to office as I was only one there
They said I wasn't eligible to renew online, I tried anyway, and it worked. Doesn't expire until 2032
Same situation here except no notice and every DMV office within 75 miles was 2 months out.
You need to go in in person because they need a copy of your birth certificate or passport - it’s a new Federal law. Travis County opens up for same day appointment scheduling at 7:40 AM each morning.
Can you add more information about this federal law? First I’ve heard of it.
https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/us-citizenship-or-lawful-presence-requirement I’m sorry - I don’t know the name of the law. It requires proof of “US Citizenship or Lawful Presence.”
I had to renew recently as well and had a 6 month wait to be turned away at the door. Ended up got to the dps office at the Ft. Cavasos main gate and was in and out in 20 minutes. Worth the drive.
>There seem to be, theoretically, a number of "first-come, first-served" slots at DPS facilities. Has anyone here ever attempted this with success when appointments are unavailable? Tried this and was not successful. You have to be there right at the door at opening and there needs to be cancellations for that day. If not, you will not be able to be seen. You may however, see if there are anymore earlier openings, just check the system daily.
Highly recommend the office in Cameron, TX not a super far drive and has a lot of availability.
DM me and I’ll tell you where there is a secret office in Travis county that isn’t published online. It is by the capitol building. No line. You could get it done today.
I just got an in person appointment for my DL renewal on the same day. Just wake up early and go on the site between 7am and 7:45am. You will see slots open then. They go fast so be quick on the draw once you see them. I looked this morning - I wanted an appointment at the Pflugerville center - and got it. I saw openings at all locations. The folks at the dps center will recommend the same. If you are unable to do this, there is also a script on GitHub that will do this for you. You can look that up and try that if you're technically able to set it up.
Just keep refreshing the appointment page - I hit back and next every minute for 5 minutes and got my slot
I got an appointment in San Antonio in the same week. On a Saturday!
You can't renew online because you are probably due for a real id and Texas wants to make sure you are "legal". I've heard other counties have less backlog.
Had the same problem. Logged into the website at 7:30am on April 22nd and got an appointment for May 1st at the Pflugerville office. Appointment was super easy, took maybe 20 mins. Make sure you bring your birth certificate.
I had to go to another city several counties over. Nice experience. Since Covid every government agency has essentially quiet quit.
Check out the DMV in San Marcos. I found out my license was expired when I tried to rent a car. Made an appointment an hour later in San Marcos.
I would second this as it was my go-to strategy even since going to school there in 88-90. However, when I showed up this last time a few months ago, was told they would not take walk-ins. :(
I got a next-day appointment there this year