First sally at the DMV

Transferring car title, registering a vehicle and getting a new driver's license is one of the least fun parts of making any interstate move. Or, actually, three of the least fun parts. I thought I was going to knock them off today, but I wound up with only one done.

The California DMV has embraced the idea of making appointments. More than one co-worker recommended I take advantage of this system, so off I went to the DMV website, where it is indeed possible to make an appointment -- if you only needed to do one thing. I needed to do at least two, and possibly three (if you separate the title application from the vehicle registration). For that, you need to make a phone call.

So, I picked up the phone. That is not to say I talked to a person. But I was able to make an appointment through their automated system. A couple of weeks later, my appointment date rolled around, and off I went.

When I arrived I found that despite my dutiful telephoning, I still only had an appointment for one thing -- getting my CA driver's license. So I went ahead and did that, and quit while I was ahead. I'll make another appointment (or two) to deal with the title and registration another time. For now, I'm carrying my GA driver's license with a hole punched in it, and my paper temporary CA license. The new card should arrive in the mail in a few weeks.

This is the fourth state I'll register this car in. I bought it in Texas, then moved to Minnesota, then Georgia, and now here. Getting excessive? I think so.