DMV or DPS? What!?!?

Well, I am officially a legal Texan - in every way shape and form...I am inspected, registered, tagged, and licensed. (And my legal residence is here now.) I just have to share some of the things that I've learned about the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles.

• To get a registration, you have to have Texas Liability insurance - your current, out-of-state insurance doesn't cut it.
• You don't go to the DMV to get everything like you do in New Jersey - for your registration, you go to the County Tax Office.

As a rather long aside, let me state that I had to go to the Tax Office 2 times! Knowing what a neurotic list-maker I am, I checked the website to write down everything I needed. I even had Manny double-check it to make sure that I had everything. I get there on Tuesday in the morning, the line is OUT THE DOOR, and while there are 4 service windows, only two of them were functioning. After standing in line for probably an hour, and only moving 4 feet from the door jamb, I was told by a woman handing out forms that I was missing 2 forms and would have to come back later. So, I went back the next day at about 2:30. I walked out at 4:30 in the middle of a torrential rainstorm with my registration and tags!!! But, GEEZ WHAT A HASSLE!

• So, I was prepared to go to the DMV for my license, and I heard that it was ABSOLUTELY NIGHTMARISH from people who live here. So, it turns out that instead of one central office, there are many satellite offices. When you go to renew, you can actually go to the grocery store! (What the HECK!?)
• You don't go to the DMV to get your license...you go to the DPS. (Yeah, that's the Department of Protective Services.)

Fortunately, after some turn-arounds looking for the license place, I got there and was only there for a few minutes!

• They don't issue your actual license at the DPS...they give you a paper...a paper and then they mail it to you withing 30-45 days! Aaaargh!!!

Thus ends my long soliloquoy (how do you spell that again?) about the long and excruciating process of becoming a legal driver in Houston, Texas.

DATE NIGHT TONIGHT!!!