DMV Opens Its First Drive-Through Window

The Department of Motor Vehicles opened its first drive-through window this week at its Van Nuys office.

The window is designed for people with simple needs, such as picking up forms and pamphlets and vehicle registration, and offers a way to cut down on lines inside the office, said DMV Director Del Pierce.

But DMV officials conceded the drive-through idea has some drawbacks, not the least of which is that few things at the DMV are simple. The office faces the ugly possibility that a string of cars will be backed up at the window as their drivers try to work out their DMV problems. Pierce acknowledged that the South Coast Air Quality Management District’s ambitious clean-air plan could spell the end of all drive-through windows, including the one at the DMV.