DMV customers from all over head to Needles for shorter wait times

NEEDLES, Calif. (KABC) -- If you're tired of waiting in long lines at the DMV, there's a solution. But you might have to drive a couple hundred miles to get there.

The Department of Motor Vehicles office in Needles has among the shortest wait times of any office in the state. When Eyewitness News arrived at 10:30 a.m. Monday, there were only two people waiting in line.

And neither one of them had an appointment.

"I love this place," said Bill Asplund, of Bullhead City, Arizona. "Every time I've been here, it's never overcrowded. The staff is great."

While office staff told one customer that Mondays are often the busiest day of the week at the Needles location, we rarely saw more than a handful of customers in the entire office. Most of them were already at the counters being assisted.

"It's really nice. Not like back at home in L.A. County," one customer said.

Aprildawn Walker, who was on a trip to the Colorado River, echoed those sentiments.

"My boyfriend heard about the DMV out here. So we figured just pack it all together," she said.

They were one of many people who were squeezing in a trip to the DMV in Needles while on vacation.

"I keep a boat up here, and come up here regularly, and know about this office," said David Ponder, of Temple City. "I told my girlfriend let's just come here and get her done!"

A spokesperson for the DMV said they're monitoring wait times at all 172 field offices across the state.

"Generally speaking, the busiest offices tend to be the ones located in major metropolitan areas," spokesperson Jaime Garza said. "Offices in the rural areas tend to be less crowded."

Garza said the DMV is working to improve customer experiences statewide. The DMV has added early morning and Saturday hours, as well as redesigning its website.

It's also adding self-service kiosks at many locations. But there's still a lot customers can do to improve their experience.

"Plan your visit early," Garza said. "Appointments can be made up to 90 days in advance."

Walker said she wasn't disappointed with her experience in Needles.

"Gosh, this is wonderful. It's heaven," she said.